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Tag: ECP

  • ECP gives PM Office two weeks to reply in cantonment boards election case

    ECP gives PM Office two weeks to reply in cantonment boards election case

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has given the Prime Minister’s Office two weeks to submit its reply in the case of delayed local government elections in 42 cantonment boards, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

    In a written verdict issued on Saturday, the commission ordered the Prime Minister’s Office to write the letter again and submit its reply within two weeks, in a case concerning the holding of elections in the cantonment boards.

    The verdict noted that the cantonment boards completed their term on April 11, 2026. Under the law, elections were to be held by August 8, 2026, but they were not held on time, the order said.

    According to the commission, the schedule for demarcations in the 42 cantonment boards was announced on January 11, 2026, while the final list of the demarcations was issued on April 20, 2026.

    The ECP said that under Article 19-D of the Cantonment Act, the federal government should write an application for holding the elections, and that the formal request from the government was still awaited.

    The commission said letters were written to the Ministry of Defence on May 14, May 26 and June 16, while the chief election commissioner wrote to the prime minister on July 16, seeking the government’s formal request.

    It noted that the defence ministry and the Military Lands and Cantonments Department were ready, but the matter was still pending at the Prime Minister’s Office.

    According to the order, on November 10, 2026, Brigadier (retired) Falak Naz and Khalil Rana appeared before the commission. The defence ministry had submitted an application to the federal government, but no reply had been given, it said.

    The commission also warned that it would be constrained to pass appropriate orders if no response was received within the given time, according to The News.

    The order was passed by a five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, The News reported.

    The delay in cantonment board elections has been pending for months, with the commission repeatedly reminding the government that local government polls in the cantonments were due within 120 days of the expiry of the boards’ term.

    Once the federal government’s formal request is received, the commission can move ahead with the election schedule for the 42 cantonment boards across the country.

  • IHC Suspends Islamabad Local Body Election Schedule

    IHC Suspends Islamabad Local Body Election Schedule

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday granted a stay on the holding of local-body elections in the federal capital, suspending the schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), 24NewsHD reported.

    The stay order was issued by Justice Umair Majeed Malik, according to the report. The order suspends the election schedule announced by the commission, which had fixed polling for 20 December.

    The commission had issued its order on 21 October, setting out the election programme for Islamabad’s local government polls. Under the programme, nomination papers were to be filed from 2 to 6 November, with polling on 20 December. The commission had previously assured the court that it was ready to hold the polls and that the ICT Local Government Conduct of Election Rules 2025 had been notified.

    The schedule had been challenged before the high court in a petition filed on 5 November, which questioned the legality of the constituency delimitations. The petitioner, Chaudhry Amjad Ali, had sought the annulment of the commission’s order and schedule, arguing that the polls could not be held until the legal status of the existing delimitations was settled. The petition also sought suspension of the electoral process and fresh, transparent delimitation of constituencies before the election went ahead.

    Islamabad’s local government bodies completed their term in February 2021, and local elections in the capital were last held in 2015. Under the Elections Act 2017, fresh elections are required within 120 days of the completion of a term, but the delimitation process has been repeatedly revised since then.

    The stay means the commission cannot proceed with the election programme for now. The report did not state a date for the next hearing, and it was not immediately clear when the court would take up the matter again.

    The Islamabad case comes amid a wider local-election calendar that has been moving in different directions. On 5 November, the commission halted preparations for local government elections in the remaining districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after a federal order suspended Article 140A of the Constitution in the province. On the same day, it fixed 7 February 2027 for the first phase of local government elections in Punjab.

  • ECP Removes Khalid Maqbool from MQM-P Leadership List

    ECP Removes Khalid Maqbool from MQM-P Leadership List

    The Election Commission of Pakistan has taken Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui’s name off its official record as the head of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, leaving the party’s top slot empty in the regulator’s latest register of political parties.

    The updated register, published on the commission’s website, shows a blank space where the name of the MQM-P chief should appear. The party itself has not been struck off the register, and officials say it remains a recognised political party for now.

    The move follows MQM-P’s failure to hold its internal elections within the time the commission had allowed. Earlier this year, the Election Commission had given the party until October 15 to complete the exercise. When that date passed without the polls taking place, the commission sent the party a formal notice asking why it had not complied.

    The notice gave the party two weeks to explain itself and warned that it could lose its election symbol if the internal polls were not held. Without a symbol, a party cannot contest a general election under its own banner.

    MQM-P has since replied to the notice. Its response was filed through its counsel, Barrister Farogh Naseem. A senior commission official said the reply had been received and would be examined, and that if it does not satisfy the commission, the matter will be fixed for a hearing and decided on merit.

    Siddiqui, who also serves as the federal minister for education, has led the party for several years, securing repeated extensions from the commission for the internal elections. At one stage he had assured the regulator that the polls would be held on October 14, but the commitment was not met.

    MQM-P is not the only party affected by the updated register. The name of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai has also been removed, as a case about that party’s internal elections and a change to its constitution is still pending before the commission. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan are likewise listed without the names of their heads.

    The development has set off a debate inside MQM-P circles, with questions being raised about the party’s leadership and the way forward. For now, the commission’s message is clear: parties must hold their internal elections on time, or face the consequences laid down in the law.

  • ECP Notice to Ata Tarar: NA-77 Result May Be Withheld

    ECP Notice to Ata Tarar: NA-77 Result May Be Withheld

    Pakistan’s election watchdog has stepped in just hours before polling in Gujranwala, taking notice of an alleged breach of the election code by a federal minister and warning that the constituency’s result could be held back until the matter is decided.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Saturday that it had taken notice of an alleged violation of the code of conduct by Federal Minister for Information Ataullah Tarar during the by-election campaign in NA-77 Gujranwala. According to media reports, the minister visited the constituency by helicopter and addressed a public gathering, an act the commission is now examining.

    In a statement shared on X, an ECP spokesperson said the commission had sought reports from the District Monitoring Officer and the District Returning Officer to investigate the matter. The minister has been directed to appear before the commission in his personal capacity.

    The spokesperson added that the result of the constituency may be withheld until a final decision is reached, a step that would leave the outcome of Sunday’s vote in limbo while the inquiry runs its course.

    Security tightened for Sunday’s vote

    Polling in NA-77 Gujranwala and PP-203 Sahiwal is scheduled for Sunday, 8 November. The federal government has approved the deployment of the army and the Rangers for both by-elections, with the security personnel remaining in place from 7 to 9 November.

    According to sources, the army and Rangers will assist the Election Commission with general security duties, with the Rangers deployed in the second tier and the army in a third-tier quick response role. The army has been deployed under Article 220 of the Constitution, while the Rangers have been called out under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The Election Commission had itself requested the deployment to ensure the peaceful conduct of the elections.

    The notice comes under the commission’s code of conduct, which restricts campaign activity by public office holders once an election schedule has been announced. The notice to a sitting federal minister on the eve of polling underlines how closely the commission is watching the by-elections. With the result now potentially subject to the outcome of the inquiry, all eyes will be on the ECP’s next move once polling closes.

  • ECP Sets Dec 31 Deadline for Lawmakers to Declare Assets

    ECP Sets Dec 31 Deadline for Lawmakers to Declare Assets

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed members of Parliament and provincial assembly lawmakers to submit their annual statements of assets and liabilities for the fiscal year 2025-26 by December 31, 2026.

    The direction was issued on Friday. Lawmakers who miss the initial deadline will have a final grace period until January 15, 2027, to file their declarations.

    The statements must declare all assets, possessions and liabilities held as of June 30, 2026. The declarations must also include details for the lawmakers’ spouses and dependent children, making the disclosure a full picture of the family’s holdings.

    The submissions must be filled out on Form B, the prescribed form for annual asset declarations by elected representatives.

    The Election Commission has said it will publish the names of all non-compliant lawmakers on January 1, 2027. Any member who fails to submit the declaration by the January 15 grace period will face immediate suspension of their assembly or Senate membership on January 16, and the suspension will remain in force until the statement is filed.

    Annual asset declarations are a long-standing legal requirement for elected representatives in Pakistan. The exercise is meant to keep a public record of what lawmakers own and owe, and to allow voters and institutions to track changes in their wealth while they hold public office.

    The December 31 deadline gives lawmakers the rest of the year to put their returns together, while the January 15 grace period offers a short window for late filers. The publication of names on January 1 is designed to make the process visible, and the suspension from January 16 is the penalty for those who still do not comply.

    Lawmakers who hold seats in the National Assembly, the Senate or a provincial assembly are all covered by the direction. The commission’s timetable leaves no room for open-ended delay: the names go public first, and membership is suspended next for anyone who remains in default.

    The commission’s announcement sets the calendar for the coming weeks: names published on January 1, the grace period running until January 15, and suspension from January 16. Lawmakers who file on time face no action, while those who do not will first be named publicly and then lose their membership until they comply.

  • Islamabad LG polls: two more days to file nominations

    Islamabad LG polls: two more days to file nominations

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has extended the last date for submitting nomination papers for the local government elections in Islamabad to November 8, giving prospective candidates two more days to file their papers.

    The commission issued a notification announcing the extension on Thursday. The deadline for filing nomination papers had earlier been fixed for November 6.

    Candidates can now submit their nomination papers until November 8, the ECP said, adding that the decision was taken after requests from various political parties and with the aim of facilitating candidates.

    With the extension, the scrutiny of nomination papers will now be carried out on November 9 and 10. The final list of candidates will be published on November 11.

    The nomination process for the Islamabad local government elections began on November 2, when candidates started submitting their papers to the offices of the returning officers in the federal capital.

    Earlier this week, the ECP rejected reports that nomination papers were not being issued over the weekend. The commission said the offices of 16 returning officers remained open from October 30 to November 1 and had issued 1,847 nomination papers to prospective candidates, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.

    The extension follows complaints from political parties about difficulties in obtaining nomination papers. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Islamabad chapter had asked the commission to extend the deadline by at least 10 days, saying candidates could not obtain papers on Friday despite the announced schedule, according to Dawn.

    Islamabad’s local government elections are being held for 125 union councils, the basic units of local representation in the capital territory. Sixteen returning officers have been assigned to receive nomination papers from candidates.

    Polling for the local government elections is scheduled for Sunday, December 20, 2026, under the election programme announced by the ECP.

    Under the programme, the scrutiny of nomination papers was originally planned for November 9 to 13, with appeals against rejected nominations to follow. The revised timetable now places scrutiny on November 9 and 10, with the final list of candidates due on November 11.

    The elections are being conducted under the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015, and the relevant electoral laws.

    Candidates who have already filed their papers do not need to take any further step, while those still preparing their documents now have until November 8 to submit them to their returning officer.

    The coming days will show whether the extra time brings a rush of last-minute filings, with the final list of candidates to be published on November 11 ahead of the December 20 vote.

  • ECP defers KP local body polls scheduled for February

    ECP defers KP local body polls scheduled for February

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has deferred local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, announcing on Thursday that the polls cannot go ahead for now.

    According to the commission, the elections could not be held after the suspension of Article 140-A, the constitutional provision that deals with local government. The ECP said the polls would be held soon after the restoration of Article 140-A and following a formal notification.

    The decision puts on hold a process that had been moving towards polling day. The KP local body elections had been scheduled for February 2027, under a schedule announced in April this year.

    Under that schedule, candidates were to submit their nomination papers between 10 and 20 December, with scrutiny of the papers set for 11 to 14 December. Appeals against the rejection of nomination papers could be filed from 15 to 19 December, and the appellate tribunals were to decide those appeals by 23 December.

    Candidates would then have had until 26 December to withdraw their names, and election symbols were to be allotted on 27 December. Polling day itself had been set for 4 January.

    That timetable will now not be followed, and no new date has been announced. The commission has said only that the elections will be held once the constitutional position is restored and the notification is issued.

    Local body elections decide who runs district, tehsil and village-level governments, and they are the tier of government closest to people’s everyday problems, from water and sanitation to local roads and markets. A delay therefore leaves local councils without elected representatives for longer.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen repeated delays and disputes over local government elections in the past, and the latest postponement will be watched closely by political parties in the province, which have been preparing their candidates and campaigns.

    For the parties, the uncertainty over timing makes planning difficult. Candidates who had been organising their campaigns around the December nomination dates will now have to wait for a fresh announcement before they can file their papers.

    The commission has not named any official spokesperson in connection with the announcement, and the statement was reported by the news desk of the outlet that carried it. Further detail is expected when the commission issues its formal notification.

    What is clear for now is that voters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will not be going to the polls for their local bodies on the timetable announced earlier this year. The next step depends on the restoration of Article 140-A and the commission’s formal notification, after which a new schedule will have to be announced.

    Until then, the province’s local government system remains in limbo, with the elected tier absent and administrative arrangements continuing in its place. Political parties and voters alike will be waiting for the commission’s next move.

  • ECP Proposes Rules to Curb AI Misuse in Elections

    ECP Proposes Rules to Curb AI Misuse in Elections

    ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has proposed amendments to the 2023 codes of conduct for political parties, media organisations and election observers to curb the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) during elections, according to sources in the commission.

    The draft amendments, reported by The Express Tribune on October 26, set out changes for media organisations, political parties and candidates, and election observers. The commission has sought public and stakeholder feedback on the proposals by November 20. The measures are aimed at regulating AI-generated content, prohibiting deceptive deepfakes and ensuring transparency in election-related communication.

    Under the proposed rules for the media, outlets would be required to clearly disclose when content generated or modified through AI is broadcast, published or released. Media organisations would still be permitted to use AI tools for preparing, translating, presenting or analysing election-related content, provided they disclose that use to their audiences and remain responsible for the authenticity and accuracy of the material.

    The draft strictly prohibits the use of deepfake technology to create fabricated images, voices or statements of political party leaders, candidates, election officials, members of the judiciary, armed forces personnel and other state officials, where the content is false, defamatory or intended to ridicule them. The proposal reflects growing concern that realistic fake audio and video could mislead voters during a campaign.

    Political parties and candidates would also face new obligations under the draft. They would be required to clearly label AI-generated or altered material, and would be prohibited from using such content to mislead voters about a person’s image, words or actions. The draft also proposes a ban on bots and automated accounts used to artificially influence online activity or create false trends, and requires automated campaign calls or messages using cloned voices to begin with a clear notice that they were created using AI.

    Monitoring and enforcement would involve several regulators. According to the report, Pemra, the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency would monitor undisclosed or unlabelled AI-generated media content and report violations to the ECP, with appropriate action to be taken in cases of non-compliance.

    The proposed amendments also require media houses to promptly remove misleading or undisclosed AI-generated content from their platforms, or correctly relabel it, when directed by a regulatory body or the ECP. Election observers, meanwhile, would be required to identify cases of AI manipulation and report them to the commission, while being prohibited from generating or altering their own findings, photographs, videos and reports using AI.

    The proposals come as AI tools become cheaper and easier to use, raising questions for election authorities around the world about how to protect voters from manipulation without restricting legitimate campaigning and journalism. The ECP’s consultation, which runs until November 20, will give political parties, media bodies and civil society a chance to respond before any final rules are adopted.

  • اسلام آباد بلدیاتی انتخابات ملتوی ہونے کا خدشہ

    اسلام آباد بلدیاتی انتخابات ملتوی ہونے کا خدشہ

    وفاقی حکومت نے اسلام آباد میں بلدیاتی انتخابات کے ایک بار پھر ملتوی ہونے کا اشارہ دے دیا ہے۔ یہ پیش رفت اس وقت سامنے آئی ہے جب ایک روز قبل ہی الیکشن کمیشن آف پاکستان نے پولنگ کے لیے 20 دسمبر کی تاریخ مقرر کی تھی۔ اگر انتخابات ملتوی ہوئے تو یہ چھٹا التوا ہوگا۔

    جیو نیوز کی رپورٹ کے مطابق جمعرات کو حکومت نے قومی اسمبلی میں اسلام آباد کیپیٹل ٹیریٹری لوکل گورنمنٹ (ترمیمی) بل 2026 (آرڈیننس نمبر 2 سال 2026) پر قائمہ کمیٹی برائے داخلہ کی رپورٹ پیش کی۔ کمیٹی کے چیئرمین راجہ خرم شہزاد کی عدم موجودگی میں مسلم لیگ (ن) کے رکن اسمبلی انجُم عقیل خان نے رپورٹ ایوان میں پیش کی۔

    مسودہ ترمیمی بل کے تحت اسلام آباد کیپیٹل ٹیریٹری میں تین ٹاؤن کارپوریشنیں قائم کی جائیں گی، اور ہر کارپوریشن میں ایک میئر اور دو ڈپٹی میئر ہوں گے۔ بل میں وفاقی حکومت کو تینوں ٹاؤن کارپوریشنوں کا اعلان کرنے اور آبادی کی بنیاد پر یونین کونسلوں کی نئی حدبندی کا اختیار دیا گیا ہے، جس کے بعد 20 دسمبر کو انتخابات کا انعقاد ممکن نہیں رہے گا۔

    قومی اسمبلی کا جاری اجلاس 27 اکتوبر تک جاری رہے گا، اور توقع ہے کہ حکومت اسی اجلاس میں بل کی منظوری حاصل کر لے گی۔ واضح رہے کہ اسلام آباد کے بلدیاتی انتخابات اس سے قبل رواں برس 15 فروری کو ہونا تھے، مگر ایک آرڈیننس کے نفاذ کے بعد انہیں ملتوی کر دیا گیا تھا۔

    دوسری جانب الیکشن کمیشن نے بدھ کو اپنے دفتر کو پولنگ کے آئینی اور قانونی تقاضے پورے کرنے کی ہدایت کی تھی، جس کے بعد کمیشن نے الیکشن شیڈول کا اعلان کیا۔ شیڈول کے مطابق نامزدگی کے کاغذات 2 سے 6 نومبر تک وصول کیے جائیں گے۔

    الیکشن کمیشن نے انتخابات کے انعقاد کے لیے 49 افسران کو ڈسٹرکٹ ریٹرننگ افسر، ریٹرننگ افسر اور اسسٹنٹ ریٹرننگ افسر مقرر کر دیا ہے۔ علاوہ ازیں کمیشن نے پنجاب اور ملک بھر کے چھاؤنی بورڈز میں بلدیاتی انتخابات کے حوالے سے 28 اکتوبر کو سماعت بھی مقرر کی ہے۔

    ترمیمی بل میں یونین کونسلوں کی نئی حدبندی کا مطلب یہ ہے کہ پولنگ کے لیے حلقہ بندی، ووٹر لسٹوں کی ترتیب اور پولنگ اسٹیشنوں کے تعین جیسے مراحل دوبارہ مکمل کرنا ہوں گے، جن کے لیے وقت درکار ہوتا ہے۔ اگر بل منظور ہو گیا تو الیکشن کمیشن کو نئی صورتحال کے مطابق شیڈول کا ازسرنو جائزہ لینا ہوگا۔

  • ECP to Address Delayed Islamabad LG Polls on Oct 21

    ECP to Address Delayed Islamabad LG Polls on Oct 21

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced it will formally address the long-delayed local government (LG) elections in the federal capital on Wednesday, October 21, summoning the secretary interior and the chief commissioner Islamabad to its proceedings.

    Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja chaired a special meeting of the commission attended by members, the secretary and senior officers, according to a report by The News. After a formal hearing held a few days earlier, the commission had hinted that the LG polls could be conducted under the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015.

    Legal vacuum behind the delay

    The issue came under deliberation following the lapse of the Islamabad Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance 2026, after which the federal government did not enact fresh legislation for the capital’s local elections. The commission is now considering whether the polls can proceed under the ICT Local Government Act 2015 instead.

    Local government elections in Islamabad have been repeatedly postponed since the term of the previous LG system ended on February 21, 2021, leaving the federal capital without elected local representatives for more than five years.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa case delisted

    Separately, the ECP delisted the case regarding local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was fixed for hearing on October 20. In a delisting notice, the commission said the next date of hearing would be communicated in due course.

    The notice was issued after the ECP had earlier directed the KP chief secretary to appear before the bench in connection with the long-pending local polls in the province.

    The commission’s renewed push on local government elections in both the federal capital and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa signals a fresh effort to restore the elected third tier of government in areas where it has remained absent for years.

    At the special meeting chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner, the members, the secretary and senior officers reviewed the legal position arising from the lapsed ordinance. The commission had already indicated, after an earlier formal hearing, that the 2015 Act remained available as the governing law for the capital’s local polls.

    Local government elections elect union council representatives responsible for municipal services, development schemes and civic governance at the grassroots level. Their prolonged absence in the federal capital has left those functions without directly elected oversight.