The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has withdrawn the schedule for delimitation of constituencies in Punjab, which had been issued in preparation for the long-delayed local government elections.

The decision follows the enactment of the Punjab Local Government Act 2025, which repeals the earlier 2022 law.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ECP directed the Punjab government to finalise rules for delimitations and demarcations within four weeks in line with the new legislation.

The commission warned that if the task is not completed within the given timeframe, it would be “compelled to take an appropriate decision”.

According to sources, local government elections will not be held in Punjab this year, though the ECP had made clear that no further extensions would be granted in this regard.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, where officials were briefed that the Punjab Assembly had passed the new 2025 Act, subsequently signed into law by the governor.

With its implementation, all notifications and delimitations issued under the 2022 law have been rendered null and void.

It may be recalled that the ECP had, in a meeting on October 8, decided to hold local government elections in December and had instructed the Punjab government to complete delimitation of constituencies within two months.

The election schedule was expected to be announced in the last week of December. However, with the introduction of the new law, that schedule has now been withdrawn.

ECP sources said the Punjab government had requested additional time to undertake the delimitation process afresh under the new legal framework.

The commission accepted the request and formally cancelled the previous schedule.

The province has remained without elected local bodies since 2019, when the then-PTI government dissolved them — a decision later reversed by the Supreme Court.

The restored institutions completed their tenure in December 2021, after which fresh elections were constitutionally required within 120 days.

However, the polls have been repeatedly delayed due to legal changes and administrative inaction.