ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan Tuesday announced holding local bodies elections in Balochistan on May 29, while polling in Quetta and Lasbella will be held after the completion of fresh delimitations.
The schedule for LG polls for Balochistan will be issued within a day or two. Delimitations continue after an increase in the number of constituencies by the provincial government, therefore, a schedule for the two districts will be announced later. The decision was made in a meeting of the ECP, presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, and attended by its members and other senior officials. The meeting was briefed about the ongoing revision of electoral rolls and expressed its satisfaction with the process.
The meeting was briefed that after the decision of the Islamabad High Court, the schedule of delimitation of Federal Capital Territory of Islamabad had been re-issued, according to which initial delimitations will be published on April 15 and the final publication would be made on May 19, 2022. The ECP said it would ensure local elections in the federal capital immediately after the completion of the delimitation.
The ECP directed the provincial election commissioners to immediately contact officers concerned of the Pakistan Printing Corporation for the procurement of election material and printing of ballot papers to ensure the conduct of elections in Punjab and Sindh. The provincial election commissioners were also directed to contact the provincial governments so that the ECP could immediately release an election schedule for the provinces. Besides, the ECP was also briefed about arrangements for the second phase of elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to be held on March 31.