Local government (LG) elections in Punjab are due for over four years now, with the last tenure ended on December 31, 2021. When the incumbent provincial government came to power in 2024, the Punjab Local Government Act 2022 was in field. Under 2022 law, the LG elections were to be held on a proportional representation basis through direct voting. This framework did not seem to be acceptable to the government. Therefore, despite the issuance of several election schedules, polls were repeatedly postponed.

The province has now enacted the Punjab Local Government Act (PLGA) 2025, which is based on the government’s own preferences for LG structures and their method of election. Under this law, the demarcation of local areas has already commenced. If the process continues in line with the announced timelines, there is a possibility that an election schedule may be issued during the first half of 2026, probably after Eid-ul-Fitr. There seems to be no political justification left for further delays.

What method does the current law provides for LG elections?

The election procedure laid down in the PLGA 2025 is noteworthy and needs to be further improved. Under the law, direct elections based on adult franchise will be held only for nine general seats of the Union Councils (UC), while the rest of the UC members and secondary councils as well as the executive heads of the LGs will be elected indirectly.

The law provides that each UC will constitute a multimember constituency and there will be no wards within UCs. Voters will cast one vote for a candidate of their choice, and the first nine candidates securing the highest number of votes will be declared elected.

Under this arrangement, voters will not have a clearly identifiable councilor responsible for a specific locality, as all candidates will contest across the entire UC. This system creates collective rather than individual accountability.

This electoral model was used in the local government elections of 2001 and 2005 and was considered operationally successful. However, critics argue that it weakens accountability, as voters find it difficult to hold a specific councilor answerable. According to this view, single-member wards provide a more effective mechanism for representation. Both approaches carry merits and limitations.

Are these elections party based or non-party?

Another major issue is whether local government elections will be held on a party basis. The PLGA 2025 contains deliberate ambiguity on this matter.

This question has surfaced back in 2013 as well when Punjab’s local government law proposed non-party elections. It was then challenged before the superior courts, which recognized that it was a fundamental right of political parties to nominate candidates and issue party tickets. Consequently, amendments were made to the 2013 law to allow party-based local elections.

Hence, except for the 1979 legal framework for local governments that considered political affiliation as a disqualification for contesting elections, candidates across Pakistan have always been allowed to contest local elections either as party nominees or as independents. Political parties have been legally allowed to nominate candidates, and there was no legal bar on their participation.

Similarly, every citizen has a right to contest elections. If they meet the prescribed conditions for candidacy, they can contest as a party candidate or as an independent. Both the Constitution and the legal framework do not force the candidates to necessarily become part of a political party.

Unlike the arrangements under the 2019 and 2022 laws, which required independent members to register themselves as groups, no such mechanism exists under the PLGA 2025. Political parties may field candidates or present panels, while individuals may contest independently.

The final determination of whether elections will effectively be party-based will depend on the election rules, particularly the decision on whether election symbols will be allotted on a party basis. Experience from the General Election 2024 has shown that even where symbol-related complications exist, political parties can still run effective campaigns and mobilize their vote bank.

How will reserved seat members be elected?

Another important issue under the PLGA 2025 is regarding the method provided for filling reserved seats. The law provides for indirect elections, whereby members elected on general seats select candidates for reserved seats through a show of hands rather than secret ballot.

While similar procedures exist in other provinces, including Sindh and Balochistan, the approach remains debatable. Governments often prefer indirect methods to retain influence and control over the process. However, in the local government elections of 2001 and 2005, candidates for reserved seats were elected directly by voters through secret ballot. These LG polls were held under military-led regime. Even then, opposition-affiliated candidates were able to win reserved seats. Now that we have elected governments, there should be greater confidence in allowing voters to make these choices directly.

All Union Council seats, including both general and reserved, should ideally be filled through direct elections based on adult franchise and secret ballot. This would strengthen representation and enhance democratic legitimacy. This is also in line with Article 296 of the Constitution, which provides that, except for elections of the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers, all elections should be held through secret ballot.

Why are these improvements in PLGA 2025 important?

Pakistan needs to strengthen democratic values ​​and culture in order to lay strong foundations for transparent and free elections. I suggest that the electoral procedure provided in the PLGA 2025 be reviewed and the Election Rules to be framed thereunder should resolve the prevalent ambiguities and weaknesses. The elections for UC members should be held directly based on multi-member constituencies and on party basis.

Also, if seats are allocated to the political parties based on the votes obtained by them (i.e. proportional representation), it will strengthen the party politics at the local level. Public political consciousness would increasingly align with party programmes rather than ethnic, caste, or kinship considerations. Such a shift will be a positive development towards strengthening democratic values and improving the quality of representation.

— Written by Zahid Islam, Member FAFEN National Council and Executive Director Sangat Development Foundation