LHC grants ECP time to submit reply in pleas seeking party-based local govt elections in Punjab

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Mar, 2026) The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday granted time to the Election Commission of Pakistan to file its reply in petitions seeking local government elections in Punjab on a party basis.

Justice Sultan Tanveer Ahmad heard the petitions filed by Jamaat-e-Islami's Ziauddin Ansari and an opposition member of the Punjab Assembly, who challenged the move to hold local body elections on a non-party basis.

During the hearing, counsel for the Election Commission of Pakistan, Imran Arif Ranjha, appeared before the court and requested time to submit a written reply and prepare arguments.

Accepting the request, the court adjourned further proceedings until after Eid al-Fitr.

The petitions states that amendments have been introduced to the Punjab Local Government Act 2017, under which local government elections are proposed to be conducted on a non-party basis.

The petitioners argued that the move would weaken democratic values and urged the court to direct authorities to hold local government elections on a party basis.