ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified delimitation schedules for the Quetta and Kharian cantonment boards following their reclassification by the federal government.
The federal government has reclassified the Quetta Cantonment Board from Class-II to Class-I and that in Punjab’s Kharian from Class-III to Class-II. The ECP has fixed the number of wards in Quetta at 10 and five in Kharian.
According to three notifications issued on Oct 29, the delimitation exercise for Quetta and Kharian will be carried out from November this year until January 2027.
Administrative arrangements, including the procurement of maps and training of committees and authorities, will be completed from Nov 2 to 4, and delimitation committees will prepare preliminary lists of wards from Nov 5 to 19, which will be published on Nov 20 to invite objections.
Objections can be filed before delimitation authorities from Nov 21 to Dec 20. The authorities will dispose of objections by Jan 5, 2027 and communicate decisions to committees by Jan 8. Final lists of wards will be published on Jan 13.
The ECP has appointed the Gujrat district election commissioner as the convener of the delimitation committee for Kharian, with the Kharian cantonment executive officer and Gujrat assistant election commissioner as members.
For Quetta, the Quetta East district election commissioner will act as convener, while the Quetta additional cantonment executive officer and Quetta East assistant election commissioner will serve as members.
The regional election commissioners for Gujranwala and Quetta have been appointed as delimitation authorities for the Kharian and Quetta cantonment boards, respectively, to decide objections.
The commission directed that officers appointed for delimitation shall not be transferred without its prior approval.
The issuance of the delimitation schedule follows the ECP’s fixation of a case on delay in the conduct of LG polls in cantonment boards across the country. The electoral body had directed its office to immediately prepare and submit a schedule for LG elections in cantonment boards for approval.
The case, initially fixed for Oct 28, could not be held and was finally fixed for Nov 10. Notices have been issued to the defence ministry secretary and the director general of the Military Lands and Cantonments Department.
In its meetings on Oct 5 and Oct 15 regarding the delay in LG polls in four provinces, Islamabad and cantonment boards, the ECP was informed that the entire delimitation process for cantonments had been completed and the commission is prepared to hold elections.
However, under Section 19D(2) of the Cantonments Act 2023, the federal government is required to submit a formal request to the ECP to hold these elections. The ECP noted that despite reminders and a letter from the chief election commissioner to the prime minister, the request has not been submitted.
