ECP gives PM Office two weeks to reply in cantonment boards election casePakistan

The verdict noted that the cantonment boards completed their term on April 11, 2026. Under the law, elections were to be held by August 8, 2026, but they were not held on time, the order said.

According to the commission, the schedule for demarcations in the 42 cantonment boards was announced on January 11, 2026, while the final list of the demarcations was issued on April 20, 2026.

The ECP said that under Article 19-D of the Cantonment Act, the federal government should write an application for holding the elections, and that the formal request from the government was still awaited.

The commission said letters were written to the Ministry of Defence on May 14, May 26 and June 16, while the chief election commissioner wrote to the prime minister on July 16, seeking the government’s formal request.

It noted that the defence ministry and the Military Lands and Cantonments Department were ready, but the matter was still pending at the Prime Minister’s Office.

According to the order, on November 10, 2026, Brigadier (retired) Falak Naz and Khalil Rana appeared before the commission. The defence ministry had submitted an application to the federal government, but no reply had been given, it said.

The commission also warned that it would be constrained to pass appropriate orders if no response was received within the given time, according to The News.

The order was passed by a five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, The News reported.

The delay in cantonment board elections has been pending for months, with the commission repeatedly reminding the government that local government polls in the cantonments were due within 120 days of the expiry of the boards’ term.

Once the federal government’s formal request is received, the commission can move ahead with the election schedule for the 42 cantonment boards across the country.