ECP writes to Chief Secretary, sets Aug 20 meeting for poll date consultation

LAHORE — The Election Commission of Pakistan has moved to finalize the date for local government elections in Punjab and has summoned a consultative meeting with a provincial cabinet committee on *August 20, 2026*.

The development comes after a formal letter was sent by the ECP to *Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman* on *August 10, 2026*.

What the ECP Letter Says

The letter, signed by *Additional Director General LGE Ch. Nadeem Qasim*, refers to *Section 219(3) of the Elections Act, 2017*, *Section 59 of the Punjab Local Government Act, 2025*, and *Rule 5(1) of the Punjab Local Government (Election) Rules, 2026*.

It states that the Commission desires the provincial government to constitute a cabinet committee “well before the consultative meeting” for consultation on the announcement of the poll date for local body elections in Punjab.

The ECP has scheduled the meeting for *Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.* at the *Election Commission Secretariat, Islamabad*, and has asked the committee to attend.

Who Will Represent Punjab

The Punjab government has constituted a committee for the purpose.

It will be led by *Provincial Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafiq*.

*Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman* will also be present.

Other members include provincial ministers *Sher Ali Gorchani, Ashiq Hussain Kirmani* and *Rana Sikandar Hayat*.

Significance

Local body elections in Punjab have been under discussion for months. This is the first formal step toward announcing a date.

Officials say that after this consultation, the ECP will issue the election schedule, which will trigger delimitations and the nomination process.