ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set August 8, 2026 as the deadline to hold local government elections in 42 cantonment boards across the country, marking a key development in the electoral process.
A high-level meeting was held at the ECP headquarters in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, where preparations for the cantonment board elections were reviewed in detail.
During the meeting, the Election Commission confirmed that elections in all 42 cantonment boards must be completed by August 8, 2026. It was also decided that the final list of constituency delimitations for cantonment boards will be issued on April 20, 2026.
The ECP emphasized that consultations with the federal government will remain essential before the electoral process moves forward, as required under the Elections Act 2017, which mandates holding elections within 120 days.
It was further noted that under the Cantonments Act 1924, a formal written request from the federal government is necessary to proceed with the elections.
Officials from the Ministry of Defence assured full cooperation for the timely conduct of elections in cantonment areas. The meeting also highlighted that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, continuity of local government elections in cantonments has been maintained as part of the democratic process.
Separately, it was observed that the tenure of the Cantonment Board Kamra had also ended on April 11, 2026, further underlining the need for timely elections in these local bodies.
