As the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Cantonment Boards and Islamabad Capital Territory have not yet fulfilled the pre-requisites for holding the polls, therefore the local governments elections would be held there in February 2014, he said. He said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan agreed with the request of the ECP to extend the dates for holding LG elections and directed it to notify new schedule in consultation with the provincial governments. He said that the SC had observed that ECP and provinces were committed to hold LG elections.
He also appreciated the commitment made by the provincial government of Balochistan for holding LG elections. He said the LG elections in Balochistan would be held as per schedule on December 7, 2013. However, the ECP has cancelled the announced schedules for the elections in Punjab and Sindh. All the nomination papers received by the ECP stood cancelled, he added. The aspiring candidates, who have deposited their fee to contest the elections, need not to deposit it again, he said. The secretary explained that the new schedules for the elections in Punjab and Sindh and cases of KPK, Cantonments and Islamabad Capital Territory for the polls will be reviewed at a meeting to be held on November 19.
He maintained that the commission had convened a high level meeting that would be attended by the provincial chief secretaries and representatives of Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Law and Justice, National Database and Registration Authority, Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Pakistan Printing Corporation, Advocate Generals and other relevant departments.
"All the relevant departments will come up with their respective plans about their assignments in holding the elections. In the light of their plans, a national action plan will be decided on November 19," he added. Responding to a question, he said that it was a constitutional responsibility of the ECP to hold elections in consultation with the provinces. However, the decision regarding announcing final date to hold elections rests with the commission. He said the Supreme Court of Pakistan had accepted ECP's request for a delay in the elections keeping in view the impediments and directed the ECP to decide new dates in consultation with the provinces.