The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced a revised timeline for the delimitation of union councils in Punjab.

As per the timetable, the complaints on delimitation can be submitted till July 4 while the results on the objections on limits of union councils would be announced by July 29.

The last deadline for notifying the Punjab union council delimitation committees about the decisions has been fixed for August 7.

The timetable further mentioned that the final list of Punjab union council delimitations will be released on August 17.

The definitive timetable of elections for local government in Punjab will be announced after the completion of the process of delimitation.

BACKGROUND

Local government polls in Punjab have been deferred several times since 2019. The erstwhile Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial government disbanded the local government entities in April that year. The Supreme Court later reversed the order and restored the elected bodies. They then served out their constitutional term on 31 December 2021.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is obligated by Article 140-A of the Constitution and Section 219(4) of the Elections Act to hold local government elections within 120 days of the expiry of the term of local councils. Therefore, the polls should have been held by the end of April 2022.

However, the Punjab administration delayed the polls by making a number of revisions to the province’s local government statute and the voting process was delayed repeatedly.

ECP announces local government elections in December 2025 on October 8, 2025 The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked the Punjab administration to immediately start the process of delimitation of constituencies with orders to complete the procedure within two months.

The revision was made within less than two weeks of the Punjab government’s passing of the Punjab Local Government Act, 2025. Following the passage of the new law, the ECP withdrew the delimitation schedule prepared under the 2022 law and directed the province administration to prepare fresh delimitation and demarcation guidelines within four weeks.

Later, on October 31, 2025, the ECP said local government elections in Punjab could not be held before the second quarter of 2026, as there were no legal and administrative prerequisites to conduct the polls.

The U.S. dollar was on the defensive on Monday, but still set for its greatest monthly gain in almost a year as tension in the Gulf and ahead of jobs data that might affect the Federal Reserve’s rate path.

The U.S. and Iran hurled additional insults over the weekend before agreeing to suspend tit-for-tat attacks and meet in Qatar on Tuesday, leaving investors anxious about a fragile ceasefire.

Oil prices increased on Monday as strikes again disrupted petroleum shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, underpinning safe-haven demand for the dollar.

The euro was unchanged at $1.1387 after hitting a 13-month low versus the dollar last week and was set for a 2.3% monthly drop. Sterling fell 0.1% to $1.3198 and was down 2% on the month.

The risk-sensitive Aussie was at $0.6885, down 0.1% in early trade and on track for a 4.1% fall this month. The New Zealand dollar was steady at $0.5635, down 5.9% on the month.

The Japanese yen was last quoted at 161.75, staying at a 40-year low.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, was a little higher at 101.36.
It is currently on course for a 2.5% gain in June, the highest monthly gain since July last year.

The spat with Iran has kept inflation pressures at bay, while a surprisingly hawkish debut by Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh earlier this month has overturned market expectations for U.S. rate reduction this year.

Flows into the dollar are also being driven by a tech-led global market selloff as investors seek refuge.

Investors will be looking the US non-farm payroll (USNFAR=ECI) and unemployment rates (USUNR=ECI) expected this week for fresh signals on the strength of the labour market and the outlook for Fed policy.We see the USD grinding higher in the coming weeks on the story of ‘US exceptionalism,’” said Joseph Capurso, head of foreign exchange at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, in a note.

“Labour markets are strong and getting stronger, so it’s a recipe for higher interest rates and a stronger dollar in the U.S.,” he added.

Investors are also monitoring closely the European Central Bank’s annual forum this week as they keep tabs on developing ⁠central bank ​policies amid reduced oil prices and stock market volatility.

ECB President ​Christine Lagarde kicks off the forum Monday before a major policy panel Wednesday with Fed Chair Warsh, with markets seeking for ​a clearer read on the next Fed leader.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have played an important role in leading the national economic development in difficult economic circumstances and the government of Pakistan is giving full support to MSMEs.

Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Industries and Production, said this while addressing an interactive session arranged to celebrate World MSME Day 2026. The workshop was organized by Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) at Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries (ICSTSI) to promote communication, networking and wider outreach to MSMEs for government support.

A quick documentary showing SMEDA’s core initiatives and efforts targeted at enhancing Pakistan’s small business environment set the tone for nationwide festivities staged to honor the United Nations designated day.

The SAPM said MSME growth is at the heart of the government’s economic goal. He said the government under Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was striving to increase access to finance, promote business formalisation and create new chances for firm growth through capacity building and training programmes.

“Encouraging growth in lending by banks and microfinance institutions, access to credit is still one of our top priorities,” Haroon Akhtar Khan remarked.

Pakistan’s SME lending portfolio climbed to Rs. 853.94 billion as of March 31, 2026, from Rs. 584.44 billion on March 31, 2025, showing growth of 46 per cent, data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) showed.

Similarly, the number of SME borrowers rose to 312,355 as of March 31, 2026, compared to 203,139 recorded a year earlier, representing a growth of 53.7 per cent.

“The government is equally committed to supporting women entrepreneurs and microenterprises, especially those operating in underserved areas to build a vibrant and globally competitive MSME ecosystem capable of contributing towards inclusive and sustainable economic growth,” he added.

The SAPM claimed that efforts were being made to provide possibilities to MSMEs by strengthening market access and enhancing linkages of business with various organisations including Alibaba, JICA, PIFD and financing institutions.

“The goal of the government is sustainable prosperity for our MSMEs,” he stated.

The projects of SMEDA

SMEDA Chief Executive Officer Nadia Jahangir Seth said the World MSME Day is an opportunity to acknowledge the resilience, ingenuity and contribution of millions of Pakistani businesses towards the national economy.

She added that SMEDA was focused on making MSMEs bankable and digitally enabled, highlighting its initiatives under the three-year Business Plan. She said that the organization was following a revitalized vision and strategic direction defined by the Ministry of Industries and Production and its Board of Directors.

SMEDA was striving for promotion of business formalisation through free registration facilities available through SME Registration Portal (SMERP) besides focusing on export readiness, inter-firm connections and climate related measures, she added.

She also highlighted major programs such as the SME Certification and International Accreditation Grant Programme and a five-year project to turn banana waste into eco-friendly textile items.

SMEDA was working with women-led firms and microenterprises to increase their digital and financial literacy, product development and export readiness as part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s objective of inclusive economic growth, Seth added.

“These initiatives are also targeted at providing entrepreneurs with better market access, B2B linkages and opportunities for value chain integration,” she said.

“SMEDA continues to focus on building an enabling environment which will help enterprises to be more competitive, bankable and globally connected,” she added.

Nationwide Campaigns

The President of Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries, Awais Satti applauded the activities being carried out through SMEDA and welcomed the government’s increased focus on MSME growth.

He said the potential of Pakistan’s MSME sector could be unlocked by stronger public-private collaboration, better access to funding and wider market prospects.

27 June is observed as World MSME Day across the globe in recognition of the contribution of MSMEs to employment generation, innovation and sustainable economic growth.

This year SMEDA arranged interactive sessions and talks in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Multan, Sargodha, Abbottabad, Hyderabad, Dadu, Sukkur and Mirpur.

Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in cooperation with SMEDA organised a stakeholders engagement session in Lahore. The President LCCI, Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol was chief guest on the occasion and he emphasized on the necessity of entrepreneurship and enterprise growth for boosting Pakistan’s economy.

He acknowledged the contribution of MSMEs for generating job opportunities, fostering innovation and inclusive economic growth.

Regional Chief, Central, SMEDA, Muhammad Javed Afzal spoke on the importance of World MSME Day and informed the audience about the mandate, services and current initiatives of SMEDA for MSME growth.

The seminars also offered an opportunity for participants to exchange ideas on improving the business climate and boosting the competitiveness of local businesses.