The Election Commission of Pakistan has started preparing for elections for the provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and will announce a schedule as soon as the governors of the respective provinces announce a date.

A high-level huddle in the ECP was told that voter and polling station lists have already been prepared and the commission is ready to start organising the election.

Sources said the ECP has reached out to the governors of the two provinces in regards to the elections for provincial assemblies and proposed that the elections be held between April 9 and 12. Although not compulsory, the commission has reportedly recommended choosing the same day for election in both provinces. The final decision on the date of the election will be made by the governors of the respective provinces.

The commission said that the election would be held based on the results of the 2017 census and will require 53,000 polling stations in Punjab and 17,000 polling stations in KP. Over 700,000 members of staff will be needed to man these stations and over 500,000 policemen will have to perform security duties.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf used its majority to dissolve the Punjab Assembly on January 14 and the KP assembly on January 18. As per the law, the ECP must organise the election within 90 days of the assembly’s dissolution.

The assemblies were dissolved by the PTI as an attempt to force general elections in the country. However, there is no compulsion to hold elections throughout the country at once. With the contact being made with governors, it seems that the ECP is gearing up to organise the elections for the provincial assemblies right away.