PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to hold new local body elections instead of extending the term of existing local governments. However, these elections have been made conditional on similar developments in other provinces.
On the other hand, the organization representing local government officials, the Local Council Association, has decided to approach the courts if local body elections are not held within the constitutionally mandated timeframe.
It is worth recalling that local body elections in KP were held in two phases. The first phase took place on December 19, 2021, but the formation of local governments occurred on March 31, 2022. The second phase of elections in hilly areas was conducted in June 2022. Therefore, local governments in the plains will be dissolved on March 31, 2026, while those in the hilly areas will end in June 2026.
Local government representatives argue that during this period, they were not allocated development funds and that their powers were never clearly defined. Hence, they demand an extension of their tenure. However, the KP government has no intention of extending the current local government terms.
According to Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam, there is no proposal under consideration to extend the tenure of local governments. He added that if the Punjab government is ready to hold local body elections, then KP will also conduct elections. So far, local bodies are not functioning in Punjab.
Meanwhile, the Local Council Association has decided to take legal action if local body elections are not held on time. The Association's Chairman, Himayatullah Mayar, stated that according to the Constitution, the tenure of local governments starts from the date their representatives take the oath of office. If elections are not held following the dissolution of current local bodies, the matter will be taken to court.
The Association’s Coordinator, Intizar Khalil, mentioned that local representatives were neither given development funds nor allowed to perform their duties as per the law. The association has demanded that their tenure be extended and that negotiations with the Chief Minister of KP are ongoing in this regard.