ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has expressed satisfaction on accomplishment of constitutional obligation to peacefully hold local government elections of Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairmen and Vice Chairmen in Punjab.
According to ECP, the commission has accomplished the constitutional obligation under Article 140A of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
It said the commission has successfully conducted local government elections to the Cantonment Boards for the first time in April 2015 against direct seats of 42 Cantonment Boards whereas, elections to indirect seats were held in the month of May 2015.
Moreover, local government elections for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) were held in November 2015 against 731 seats of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad.
The commission undertook local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from May 2015 to August 2015 against 42858 constituencies and such returned candidates were accordingly notified. After the oath of Nazims and Naib Nazims, local government institutions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa started functioning from September 2015.
It said direct elections in the Punjab and Sindh provinces were held in three phases from October 2015 to December 2015 against 15081 seats of Sindh province and 31692 seats of the Punjab province.
Elections to all but 5000 indirect seats of Sindh Province were held from May, 2016 to June, 2016 and with the election of Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Mayors and Deputy Mayors etc.
It said in the month of August 2016 the entire process in Sindh Province was successfully completed.
The ECP conducted elections to the 20075 indirect seats of the Punjab province in the month of November, 2016 and on Thursday with the elections of mayors, deputy mayors, Chairmen and Vice Chairmen in the province, the ECP has fulfilled its mandate in conducting local government elections throughout the country against more than 115200 constituencies of the local government institutions.
It is pertinent to mention here that the ECP has already completed the process of local government elections in Balochistan against 13180 seats in 2013-14.
The commission appreciated the assistance, cooperation and support by all the stakeholders and state institutions in successful conduct of such elections. It added that ECP’s staff at provincial, divisional and district levels also deserves appreciation for their untiring efforts in successful conduct of elections.
