ECP gives federal govt 2 weeks to submit formal request for cantonment board polls

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has granted the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) a two-week deadline to submit a formal request for holding local government elections in cantonment boards, warning that it may take necessary action if no response is received, according to Friday's development. Cantonment boards conducted local government elections in 2015 and 2021, with the last delimitation of wards completed but awaiting a formal request from the Ministry of Defence.

The ECP had issued a delimitation schedule for the 42 cantonments on January 11, and the final delimitation list was published on April 20. The commission directed the defence ministry to initiate proceedings for obtaining the federal government's request and send it to the ECP, following which it sent reminders to the defence secretary multiple times and wrote to the prime minister on July 16.

However, the federal government failed to submit the required document, leading the ECP to address the matter on July 21. Representatives of the defence ministry and the Military Lands and Cantonments Department (ML&CD) expressed readiness to facilitate the elections, but the ECP continued to seek updates and reminders until October 9, with no response.

At a hearing on October 28, the legal advisor for the respondents requested a two-week adjournment, citing their engagement in national and international affairs. The commission granted the request, setting the next hearing for November 10. At the recent hearing, Brigadier (retired) Falak Naz and Additional Director General Khalil Ahmad Rana confirmed that the ministry was ready to conduct the elections but noted that the matter remained pending with the PMO.

They claimed that the defence ministry had already forwarded the required request to the federal government, and there had been no delay on their part. The ECP has directed its office to once again request the PMO for the federal government's written request within two weeks, warning that failure to receive a response within the stipulated period would leave it with no choice but to issue appropriate orders.