ECP Sets Quetta Kharian Delimitation Schedule
The Election Commission of Pakistan has notified the Quetta Kharian delimitation schedule, after the federal government reclassified both cantonment boards. The ECP issued three notifications on October 29, setting a timetable running from November until January 2027.
The federal government has reclassified the Quetta Cantonment Board from Class-II to Class-I and the Kharian board in Punjab from Class-III to Class-II. The ECP has fixed the number of wards in Quetta at 10 and five in Kharian.
Delimitation draws the ward boundaries for local polls. It decides how each board’s area is split into wards, so voter lists and seats match the current shape of each cantonment. For residents of Quetta and Kharian, the schedule is the first concrete step towards local elections in boards where polls have been delayed.
Quetta Kharian delimitation: the schedule
The timetable moves in clear stages: administrative arrangements, including maps and training, run from November 2 to 4, and committees prepare preliminary ward lists from November 5 to 19.
| Stage | Dates |
|---|---|
| Administrative arrangements, maps and training | November 2 to 4 |
| Preliminary ward lists prepared | November 5 to 19 |
| Preliminary lists published for objections | November 20 |
| Objections filed | November 21 to December 20 |
| Objections disposed of | By January 5, 2027 |
| Decisions communicated to committees | By January 8, 2027 |
| Final ward lists published | January 13, 2027 |
The preliminary lists will be published on November 20. Objections can be filed from November 21 to December 20, decided by January 5, 2027, and communicated to committees by January 8, ahead of final lists on January 13.
Who runs the exercise
For Kharian, the Gujrat district election commissioner will convene the delimitation committee, with the Kharian cantonment executive officer and the Gujrat assistant election commissioner as members.
For Quetta, the Quetta East district election commissioner will convene the committee, with the Quetta additional cantonment executive officer and the Quetta East assistant election commissioner as members.
The regional election commissioners for Gujranwala and Quetta will decide objections for Kharian and Quetta, respectively. The commission directed that officers appointed for delimitation shall not be transferred without its prior approval, a guard against disruption halfway through the exercise.
Why the schedule matters now
The schedule follows the ECP’s fixation of a case on delayed local government polls in cantonment boards nationwide. The body had directed its office to immediately prepare and submit a schedule for those elections for approval.
The case was first fixed for October 28, could not be held, and is now fixed for November 10. Notices have gone to the defence ministry secretary and the director general of the Military Lands and Cantonments Department.
At meetings on October 5 and 15 on delayed local polls in four provinces, Islamabad and cantonment boards, the ECP was told the entire delimitation process for cantonments was complete and it is prepared to hold elections. But under Section 19D(2) of the Cantonments Act 2023, the federal government must submit a formal request to the ECP to hold these elections. Despite reminders and a letter from the chief election commissioner to the prime minister, that request has not been submitted.
That gap is the context for this schedule: the commission can prepare wards, but the polls still await the federal government’s formal request. The episode sits within a wider electoral-reform debate, with the PPP inviting the opposition to join an electoral reforms committee and warnings that K-P Senate elections in 2027 face a delay threat.
Frequently asked questions
What changed for Quetta and Kharian cantonment boards?
The federal government reclassified Quetta from Class-II to Class-I and Kharian from Class-III to Class-II. The ECP has fixed the number of wards at 10 in Quetta and five in Kharian.
What is the delimitation schedule?
Administrative arrangements run November 2 to 4, preliminary lists are prepared November 5 to 19 and published November 20, objections run November 21 to December 20, and final lists appear January 13, 2027.
Who decides objections to the ward lists?
The regional election commissioners for Gujranwala and Quetta act as delimitation authorities for Kharian and Quetta, respectively. They will dispose of objections by January 5, 2027.
Why have cantonment board polls been delayed?
The ECP says delimitation for cantonments is complete and it is prepared to hold elections, but under Section 19D(2) of the Cantonments Act 2023 the federal government must submit a formal request. Despite reminders and a letter from the chief election commissioner to the prime minister, it has not done so.
