Funds for polls not provided, ECP tells SC

ISLAMABAD: As ordered by the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of Pakistan submitted a report with a SC bench in which it stated that it has not received funds of Rs21 billion to conduct elections in Punjab on May 14.

The three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, had ordered the State Bank of Pakistan to allocate and release funds for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by April 17. The same bench had earlier ordered the Election Commission to hold Punjab polls on May 14.

The ECP then informed the Supreme Court that it had not received the funds, in response to which the apex court directed the State Bank to release the funds directly to the electoral body.

The apex court also sought a compliance report from the finance ministry by April 18, which “shall also include a confirmation in relation to AGPR (Accountant General Pakistan Revenue)”. It also directed the ECP to submit a report by April 18.

The National Assembly, however, disapproved the supplementary demand for a grant for elections in Punjab a day earlier, with the observation that only the lower house of the Parliament had the authority to give any amount from the Federal Consolidated Fund.

Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar moved the supplementary demand of Rs21 billion in the house to meet the expenditures for elections in Punjab.

He said the federal cabinet had referred the matter to the National Assembly which had the authority to approve or disapprove additional expenses under Articles 82 (2) and 84 of the Constitution.

Media reports said that the ECP submitted a report on Tuesday while the State Bank of Pakistan also submitted its report, saying “they can allocate funds; however, did not have the authority to release funds directly”. A third report, from the Ministry of Finance, was also handed over to the registrar’s office.

All three reports will now be sent to the three-member bench in their chambers.