Local govt: Polls on Punjab reserve seats to be held next month

ISLAMABAD: The much-awaited polling to elect members on reserved seats for women, peasants, non-Muslims, youths and technocrats in Punjab’s local government will be held next month.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued on Monday a schedule for the elections after Lahore High Court directions to complete the delayed process in the country’s largest province.

Members elected in direct elections will elect members on indirect seats for district councils, municipal corporations and metropolitan corporations in September.



Polls on reserved seats for municipal committees and union councils will be held on September 2 and September 3, respectively.

Subsequently, the election authorities will officially announce results of indirect elections on September 4, while elected members will take oath on September 10.

Once the process is complete, the ECP will issue a schedule to elect chairmen and deputy chairmen, and mayor.

There has been no functional local government system in place in Punjab since 2009.



After continued interventions by the Supreme Court in this regard, direct elections for councilors, chairmen and deputy chairmen seats were held in three phases last year.