New LG Act nullifies fresh delimitation

Following the approval of the new Local Government Act 2025, all fresh delimitations carried out for the upcoming local government elections will become ineffective, while the polls expected in December are likely to be delayed.

According to sources, district election commissions across Punjab - including Rawalpindi - have been working with district administrations to carry out delimitations under the Local Government Act 2022.

However, with the new Act now passed by the Punjab Assembly and sent to Governor Sardar Saleem Haider for final approval and enforcement, these exercises will lose legal effect once the new law is enacted.

The enforcement of the 2025 Act will render delimitations of union councils, municipal corporations, and municipal committees across all districts - including the Rawalpindi Division - null and void, making it difficult to hold the local government elections in December.

Sources in the District Election Commission Rawalpindi told Express that maps of all areas in the district, prepared with the cooperation of the deputy commissioner and additional deputy commissioner (revenue), along with the list of old delimitations, have already been received. Delimitation work under the 2022 Act had started, but the process will have to be redone once the new law comes into effect.

Under the new local government system, the District Council will be completely abolished, and the town system introduced during General Pervez Musharraf's era will be reinstated. The ward system within union councils will also be scrapped.

The governor is expected to approve the new Act later this week. Under the revised structure, Rawalpindi district will have a total of 11 local government bodies, including one Municipal Corporation and five towns - Rawalpindi, Gujar Khan, Kallar Syedan, Kahuta, and Taxila - along with four municipal committees for Gujar Khan, Taxila, Kallar Syedan, and Kahuta.