ECP summons KP officials in LG polls case today

Islamabad, July 21, 2026 - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to hear a case on Tuesday related to the conduct of local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a province under the jurisdiction of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). A bench consisting of four members - Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, Babar Hassan Bharwana, and former Justice Ikram Ullah Khan - will conduct the hearing.

The ECP has summoned Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah and Secretary LG KP Zafar ur Islam to appear in person for today's hearing. The Commission had previously opposed an amendment to the KP local government law, which the provincial assembly passed in July 2026. The amendment altered the population figures for village councils and neighbourhood councils, which the ECP deemed as a "delaying tactic" to postpone local government elections.

Furthermore, the ECP stated that the KP government's amendment rendered it impossible for the Commission to delimit constituencies for LG elections, as the four-year terms of local bodies in KP had expired in March and June 2026. The ECP's authority mandates LG elections to be held within 120 days of the expiry of the relevant local bodies' term, according to Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, 2017.

Interestingly, the ECP is addressing the KP LG polls case while the PTI, led by Chief Minister KP Sohail Afridi, is gearing up for a long march planned for October 4, 2026. The PTI's announcement of the long march, which supports former Prime Minister Imran Khan, was made last month. On August 5, PTI members held rallies across the country to commemorate three years of Khan's imprisonment.

On the same day, CM Afridi addressed a public gathering in Peshawar, announcing the long march against what he deemed as baseless cases filed against the ex-PM. Initially scheduled for September 27, 2026, the long march was postponed to October 4, 2026, according to Afridi.