ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has suspended preparations for local government elections in the remaining districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until further orders, following a federal government decision to extend the suspension of Article 140-A of the Constitution across the province.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on Thursday. The meeting reviewed the implications of Federal Government Order No. 3, issued on November 4, particularly its Clause 2, which extended the suspension of Article 140-A to all districts of KP beyond those already covered by earlier emergency measures.
Article 140-A provides for the establishment of local governments in the provinces and assigns the ECP responsibility for conducting local government elections under its sub-clause (2). The commission concluded that the extended suspension had made it impossible to proceed with the polls in the remaining districts under the prevailing circumstances. It therefore decided to halt all election-related preparations until further orders.
Local government elections in KP have already been delayed following the expiry of the terms of the existing councils. The first phase of councils completed their terms in March this year, while the second phase expired in June.
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On October 29, the ECP had directed that elections be held without delay in districts where the delimitation process had been completed. However, 12 districts placed under special emergency arrangements, along with the Area Representative and Development Council, were excluded following the imposition of governor’s rule and emergency on October 11.
The federal government had cited the deteriorating security situation and what it described as the provincial government’s lack of cooperation in the fight against terrorism as reasons for imposing the emergency and governor’s rule.
Opposition parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), have raised objections to the move.
