ECP Warns MQM-P It Could Lose Its Election Symbol Over Delayed Intra-Party Polls
The ECP has given MQM-P 14 days to explain why it missed the 15 October 2026 deadline for intra-party elections, warning the party could lose its election symbol under the Elections Act 2017.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has warned Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan that it could lose its election symbol after the party failed to hold its intra-party elections by an extended deadline.
Highlights
- ECP issued a show-cause notice to MQM-P over delayed intra-party elections
- Party missed the extended deadline of 15 October 2026
- MQM-P has 14 days to explain or face action, including possible loss of its election symbol
- Notice was issued on 26 October under the Elections Act 2017 framework
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a show-cause notice to Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) for failing to hold intra-party elections within the extended deadline, giving the party 14 days to explain its failure or face legal action, including possible loss of its election symbol (The Nation, 4 Nov 2026). According to the notice, MQM-P failed to fulfil the legal requirement of holding intra-party elections by October 15, 2026, despite being granted an extension (The Nation, 4 Nov 2026).
What the law requires
The commission stated that regular elections of office-bearers were a mandatory legal requirement for all political parties under the Elections Act, 2017 (The Nation, 4 Nov 2026). Political parties are required to submit an election certificate to the ECP within seven days of completing their intra-party elections (The Nation, 4 Nov 2026).
The commission warned that failure to hold intra-party elections could render MQM-P ineligible for an election symbol, adding that its symbol could also be withheld for the next general elections (The Nation, 4 Nov 2026). The ECP had issued the show-cause notice to MQM-P on October 26 (The Nation, 4 Nov 2026).
Why the symbol matters
An election symbol is how voters identify a party on the ballot paper, so losing it — or having it withheld for the next general elections — would be a serious practical and political blow. The party now has 14 days to submit its response to the show-cause notice, failing which the ECP may initiate further proceedings in accordance with the law (The Nation, 4 Nov 2026).
Intra-party polls have become a recurring legal battleground for Pakistan’s parties; courts are also seized of related party matters, as in the ATC pre-arrest bail granted to four PTI leaders and the closely watched meeting covered in Imran Khan meeting lawyer Salman Safdar after seven months. MQM-P’s response in the next two weeks will decide whether this stays a warning or becomes a symbol fight.
The notice also underlines a wider compliance point for every registered party: intra-party elections are not an internal formality but a legal condition for staying eligible for a symbol. The commission said parties must submit their election certificate within seven days of completing the polls (The Nation, 4 Nov 2026), which means MQM-P will need both to hold the elections and to file the paperwork on time once it responds.
