LAHORE: Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider has signed the Punjab Local Government Act 2025, clearing the way for long-delayed local government elections in the province.
Following the governor’s approval, a gazette notification will be issued, after which the Punjab government will formally forward the act to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for implementation. The commission will then undertake delimitation and demarcation of constituencies under the new framework.
The ECP has already announced that local government elections in Punjab will be held in the last week of December 2025, a decision taken by a five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.
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During earlier hearings, the chief election commissioner had criticised the delay, terming it “embarrassing” that polls had yet to be conducted in Punjab and Islamabad.
Key Provisions of the Act
- The ward system at the Union Council level has been abolished.
- Each Union Council will now elect nine members.
- Elected members must join a political party within one month of their election.
- These members will choose a chairman and vice chairman from among themselves.
- They will also elect members for reserved seats.
The act was passed by the Punjab Assembly earlier this month after clearance from the Standing Committee on Local Government. With the governor’s assent, the law has now officially come into force.
Officials said the district administration will assist the ECP in delimitation of new constituencies, a key step before the polls can be conducted.
