News of a decision not to delay local government elections recently drew widespread media attention globally. A Pakistani reader could easily mistake the development for an update from Punjab, Islamabad, or Quetta where local polls have faced repeated postponements. However, the news concerned the United Kingdom (UK), where a proposed deferment of local elections was withdrawn after political and legal scrutiny.
What did actually happen in UK?
The UK government had earlier approved postponement of local elections in 30 councils in England until 2027. The decision, announced by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, was justified on the grounds that conducting elections shortly before planned reorganization of local government structures would result in unnecessary expenditure.
Opposition parties challenged the move, with Reform UK taking the matter to court. Subsequently, the Labour government reversed the decision and confirmed that the polls would proceed.
What parallels can be drawn with Pakistan?
In Pakistan, the federal capital, Punjab province, and Quetta city has been facing delays in holding local government polls for years. The governments concerned have reorganized local government structures and the courts have been seized with the issue.
The ICT elections have been postponed four times after the fixing of polling date since the last LG term expired in 2021.
Read a timeline of ICT elections prepared by FAFEN
Similarly, Punjab has seen four local government laws to reorganize the local structure in the province but no election has been held under any law. The province has also undergone delimitation of local councils multiple times.
Read a review of the Punjab Local Government Act 2025
Similarly, the local government elections in Quetta have been on hold since 2022. They were scheduled to be held on December 28, 2025 but were postponed at the last minute again at the court intervention.
