Pakistan's Election Commission postpones Punjab elections to October 8

Lahore: Pakistan's electoral watchdog on Wednesday postponed election in the Punjab province -- originally scheduled for April 30 to October 8 --- citing an abysmal law and order situation in the country.

The assemblies in Punjab and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces were dissolved on January 14 and 18 respectively by the erstwhile governments of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

In its order, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that it “hereby withdraws the election programme and fresh schedule will be



issued in due course of time with poll date on October 8." The ECP said the decision was taken after briefing of the government and different departments and intelligence agencies informed that "the law and order situation in the country don't permit to hold elections at any province at this point of time." 

On March 1, Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled that elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces should be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the assemblies, as stipulated by the Constitution.