Commission says both it and defence ministry are ready to hold elections, but formal request remains pending with PMO
Election Commission of Pakistan building in Islamabad. Photo: Radio Pakistan
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has given the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) a fortnight to submit the federal government’s formal written request for local government elections in cantonment boards, warning that it would be constrained to pass appropriate orders in case of no response.
The commission issued the direction in an order passed on November 10 by a five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, while hearing a case regarding the delay in holding local government elections in 42 cantonment boards across the country.
It is noteworthy to mention that the terms of the local governments in the cantonment boards expired on April 11, 2026. Under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, 2017, the ECP is required to hold local government elections within 120 days of the expiry of their terms. Accordingly, the polls were due by August 8.
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The ECP had issued a schedule for delimitation of wards in all 42 cantonment boards on January 11, with the final delimitation list published on April 20, according to the order.
It said that a consultative meeting was held on April 15 with the additional secretary of the Ministry of Defence and the director general of the Military Lands and Cantonments Department (ML&CD) to discuss the election schedule and obtain the federal government’s formal request under Section 19-D(2) of the Cantonments Act, 1924.
During the meeting, the commission directed the defence ministry to initiate the requisite summary for obtaining the federal government’s written request and forward it to the ECP.
The commission subsequently wrote to the defence secretary on May 14 and June 16, followed by a reminder on June 3, seeking the required document. Chief Election Commissioner Raja also wrote to the prime minister on July 16, requesting his intervention to ensure the submission of the formal request.
However, despite repeated correspondence, the federal government did not furnish the document, prompting the ECP to take up the matter on July 21.
During the proceedings, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and ML&CD expressed their readiness to facilitate the elections. The commission directed them to pursue the matter with the PMO and apprise it of the progress.
The ECP continued to seek updates through letters and reminders issued between July 31 and October 9, but the required formal request remained pending.
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At a hearing on October 28, the legal adviser representing the respondents sought a two-week adjournment, citing the senior leadership’s engagement in important national and international affairs. The commission accepted the request and fixed the next hearing for November 10.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Falak Naaz, legal adviser to the Ministry of Defence, appeared alongside ML&CD Additional Director General Khalil Ahmad Rana. They told the commission that the defence ministry was ready to hold the elections, but the matter remained pending with the PMO.
The legal adviser said the ministry had already forwarded the requisite request to the federal government for further consideration and that there had been no delay on its part. However, no response had been received from the federal government.
He sought further time to pursue the matter and obtain the required response.
Meanwhile, the special secretary (policy) informed the commission that all necessary preparations and arrangements for holding the elections had been completed and requested it to pass an appropriate order.
After hearing the arguments and examining the record, the ECP observed that it had made all possible efforts through correspondence, reminders, meetings and hearings, but the federal government had yet to fulfil the requirement under Section 19-D(2) of the Cantonments Act.
The commission noted that both the ECP and the Ministry of Defence were ready to conduct the elections, while ministry representatives had confirmed that the matter was pending with the PMO.
It further observed that Articles 140-A and 219(d) of the Constitution, read with Section 219 of the Elections Act, 2017, placed an obligation on the ECP to hold local government elections in the provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory and cantonment boards.
To fulfil its constitutional mandate, the commission directed its office to once again approach the PMO through a formal letter, seeking submission of the federal government’s written request within a fortnight.
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It warned that if no response was received within the stipulated period, the commission would be constrained to pass appropriate orders.
The Military Lands & Cantonments Department dissolved all 44 cantonment boards — including those in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi — on November 11, 2025, upon completion of their four-year tenure, issuing written directives to all Regional Directors of MLC to establish a caretaker set-up through the respective CEOs by November 26, 2025.
Cantonments are permanent bases of the Pakistan Armed Forces, which are administered by Cantonment Boards under the control of the MLC. Cantonments are established under and governed by the Cantonments Act 1924. In recent times, the demographic character of most independence-era cantonments has changed.
