Punjab, other provinces: Fate of LG polls hangs in balance

The fate of local government elections hangs in balance with Punjab government having already postponed the conduct of elections for nine months and other provinces also expected to delay the LG polls citing the challenges posed by coronavirus.
An ECP official, requesting anonymity, told Business Recorder that the decision to hold the LG polls in the provinces mainly lies with the provincial governments concerned and federal government is responsible for holding the LG polls in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) as well as Cantonment Boards (CBs).
"The LG polls cannot be held anywhere in Pakistan if the relevant government is not willing to hold these polls. The ECP can make preparatory arrangements and complete procedural modalities once the government decides to hold the polls," the source said.
On March 18, the ECP, in a top-level meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, reviewed the preparations of LG elections and expressed serious concern over non- provision of the relevant data for the LG elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and asked the chiefs secretaries of the two provinces to provide the required data for holding LG polls in the provinces 'as early as possible.'
The Commission directed the chief secretaries of the two provinces to provide information related to the proposed rules including necessary notifications, maps, chronological order of census blocks of religious minorities and other related documents and asked the chief secretaries of Punjab and KP to provide the required data at the earliest for holding the LG polls in the provinces as early as possible
On February 25, the ECP reviewed Draft Punjab Village Punchayat and Neighbourhood Councils Rules 2020 that deal with the conduct of LG elections at the village and union council levels in Punjab.
However, on March 25, a meeting of the Punjab cabinet, presided over by Usman Buzdar, decided to postpone the LG elections for nine months in the backdrop of alarming spread of coronavirus in Punjab and the rest of Pakistan.
The ECP source said the decision to postpone the LG elections has been taken by the Punjab government in consultation with the Commission. The source said the decision regarding postponement of the LG elections has been taken keeping in view the reports that completely eliminating coronavirus from Pakistan may take several months.
"It is beyond any doubt that the LG institutions are the first and foremost line of defence-to deal with any emergency like natural calamities, epidemics, pandemics or any other disaster. But it also needs to be kept in view that the entire process involving LG polls like political gatherings, corner meetings, public congregations and all that-involve potential risks of the transmission of coronavirus, a risk Pakistan simply cannot afford," the source said.
On January 30, the ECP announced to start delimitation of wards in 42 the CBs across the country and mentioned March 27 as the date to issue the final notification regarding completion of the delimitation exercise. However, in the present circumstances, the exercise may be delayed for the next few weeks, it is learnt.
Constitutionally, the schedule for the LG elections in CBs cannot be issued if the exercise of delimitation of wards is not completed and officially notified, sources in the ECP said. "Unless the final notification regarding the completion of the delimitation of wards in the CBs is issued, the schedule for LG polls in the cantonments cannot be issued and preparatory arrangements for the polls cannot be started," officials privy to the matter told Business Recorder.
The CBs where the delimitation exercise is carried out are: Rawalpindi Cantonment, Taxila Cantonment, Wah Cantonment, Attock Cantonment, Kamra Cantonment Sanjwal Cantonment, Mangla Cantonment, Murree Hills Cantonment, Jhelum Cantonment, Kharian Cantonment, Lahore Cantonment, Walton Cantonment, Gujranwala Cantonment, Sialkot Cantonment, Shorkot Cantonment, Sargodha Cantonment, Okara Cantonment, Multan Cantonment, Bhawalpur Cantonment, Quetta Cantonment, Zhob Cantonment, Loralai Cantonment, Peshawar Cantonment, Nowshera Cantonment, Risalpur Cantonment, Cherat Cantonment, Mardan Cantonment, Kohat Cantonment, Bannu Cantonment, Dera Ismail Khan Cantonment, Murree Gallis Cantonment (separate from Murree Hills Cantonment), Havelian Cantonment, Abbottabad Cantonment, Hyderabad Cantonment, Pannu Aqil Cantonment, Faisal Cantonment, Malir Cantonment, Korangi Cantonment, Manora Cantonment, Clifton Cantonment and Karachi Cantonment.