ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has indicated the possibility of summoning Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over the failure to hold local government elections in Islamabad and Punjab.

During a hearing on the delay in Punjab’s local body elections, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja remarked that the ECP may issue orders for holding local elections in Punjab in the next hearing, which would be an embarrassment for the provincial government.

The Chief Election Commissioner stated that all provinces except Punjab have conducted local government elections.

He added, “It is unacceptable for a provincial government to avoid legislation and delay elections for five years.”

In response to a query from the Chief Election Commissioner, the Punjab Minister for Local Government stated that the legislation is currently under review by the standing committee, and efforts are being made to finalize the process soon.

However, the Secretary of the Election Commission asserted that the governments in Punjab and Islamabad appear uninterested in holding local government elections.

The Chief Election Commissioner remarked that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz(PML-N) is in power both at the federal level and in Punjab, yet local elections have not been conducted in either jurisdiction.

He added, “There must be some progress by the next hearing. We will no longer ask you for a timeline — the Commission will now set the timeline itself.”