ISLAMABAD, April 12, 2023: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Attorney General, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor, Secretary of Finance department, and Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over failing to provide funds for upcoming Punjab elections.
The apex court pointed out that the federal government, as per the report of the ECP presented to the court, had not granted the funds which was a violation of court’s orders. In light of this, the court summoned all the officers concerned to appear before the chamber on April 14.
The notice highlighted that providing funds for the election was a priority issue as it non-compliance was akin to contempt of court. The top court also ordered State Bank of Pakistan Governor to provide details regarding the available resources, while Secretary to Finance department had been asked to bring all relevant records.
Earlier, the ECP apprised the SC that the government had not provided funds to the commission for holding elections in Punjab. According to the Election Commission, the government had not yet provided Rs21 billion despite SC’s order and Punjab caretaker government had agreed to provide only 75000 personnel for security. “There is a shortage of three lakh security personnel for the elections in Punjab,” the ECP noted.
The apex court had ordered the federal government to release funds for the elections until April 10 and ordered the ECP to hold elections in Punjab on May 14. The ECP later honoured the SC’s verdict by deciding to hold elections and issued a revised schedule in this regard.
The federal government, in response, took the matter to the parliament to get the funding approved. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presented the election expenses bill in the National Assembly while expressing his opinion in the House that a conspiracy had been hatched against the newly-elected democratic government. He said the economic policies of the government were harmed a great deal.
The Money Bill (Charged Sum for General Elections to provincial assemblies of Punjab and KP) 2023 stated that the required funds for the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be “an expenditure charged upon the Federal Consolidated Fund”, which it said comprises all revenues received by the federal government, all loans raised by that government and all money received by it in repayment of any loan.
The bill further stated that it should “override other laws” and have effect “notwithstanding anything contained in any other law, rules and regulations” when it was in force.
It added that the proposed law would stand repealed once the elections to both the assemblies were held, noting that the general elections and polls to Sindh and Balochistan assemblies need not be held for it to be repealed.
It is relative to mention here that the government had been stressing holding elections in the country all at once. Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had claimed the National Assembly would cease to exist on Aug 12 or 16 after which a caretaker set-up would hold elections on Oct 8. However, he later warned that PTI chief Imran Khan’s “behaviour” could push elections even beyond Oct 8.