ECP announces schedule for LG polls

PESHAWAR:

Rejecting the provincial government proposal to hold tehsil council elections separately in second phase next year, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced its own schedule for local governments’ polls, which would be conducted in two phases in Khyber-Pakthunkhwa (K-P).

Sharifullah Khan, Provincial Election Commissioner while addressing a press conference at his office, said the local bodies’ elections for neighbourhood, village and tehsil councils would be held in two phases in K-P for which all arrangements and preparations have been completed.

He informed reporters that in the first phase elections would be held in 17 districts on Dec 19, 2021 while in the second phase, polls would be conducted in 18 districts on January 16, 2022.

The local bodies' elections in the first phase would be held in Tank, DI Khan, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Karak, Kohat, Hangu, Peshawar, Khyber, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Mohmand, Malakand, Haripur and Bajaur districts. Polling would be held for 63 tehsils, 1,936 villages and 423 neighborhood councils in these districts.

He said a detailed election schedule would be announced soon. In the second phase, elections for 1,693 village, 156 neighbourhood and 68 tehsil councils would be conducted in 18 districts on January 16, 2022. He maintained holding of elections for neighbourhood, village and tehsil councils on a single day was aimed at making all local governments functional on the same day besides saving time of ECP and other concerned departments.

K-P Government had proposed holding of villages, neighborhood and tehsils council elections on December 15, 2021 and March 15, 2022 respectively in two phases separately. He said ECP was ready for elections and names of districts and returning officers had already been finalized, adding election materials were also being prepared for smooth conduct of the process.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2021.