The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has deferred local body elections in all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after the federal government extended its suspension of Article 140-A to most districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing the constitutional implications for elections.
The ECP pronounced its decision on Thursday, postponing LB elections all the districts of the province.
Consequently, the ECP suspended all preparations for holding local government elections in the remaining districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the federal government’s decision to extend the suspension of Article 140-A of the Constitution to these areas.
The commission took the decision at a meeting in Islamabad chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja to review the implications of the federal government’s Order No. 3, issued on November 4.
According to a press release issued in Islamabad, the meeting examined Clause 2 of the order, which extended the suspension of Article 140-A to all districts of the province, except those already designated under an earlier order following the imposition of Governor’s Rule and emergency.
The ECP was informed that Article 140-A provides for the establishment of local governments in provinces, while its sub-clause (2) assigns the commission the constitutional responsibility of conducting local government elections.
The commission reviewed the possible impact of the extended suspension on the ongoing electoral process in KP and concluded that holding local government elections in the remaining districts was no longer possible under the prevailing circumstances.
Consequently, the ECP decided to suspend all steps taken so far for holding local government elections in these districts until further orders.
Also Read: First phase of LB polls in Punjab to start on February 7, rules ECP
Last month, the ECP had ordered local government (LG) elections to be held immediately in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts where delimitation had been completed, excluding those included in the 12 districts with special emergency measures.
The federal government on October 11 had imposed emergency in KP and placed the province under governor’s rule, taking note of the “provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism”.
In its order, the ECP had directed its office to submit the election programme for its approval in respect of districts where the delimitation process had been completed.
The bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and comprising members Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, Babar Hassan Bharwana and retired Justice Ikramullah Khan heard the case then.
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