Top Court orders State Bank to release election funds

Islamabad: The Top Court of Pakistan on Friday directed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to release Rs21 billion in funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding elections for the Punjab Assembly after the federal government failed to provide the sum on the allotted date.

During an in-chamber hearing headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Supreme Court judges informed Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Awan that the court orders must be followed in the suo-motu notice regarding the postponement of Punjab polls.

According to sources, the AGP presented the government’s stance and faced tough questions. The judges expressed their anger regarding the non-disbursement of funds.

Before the hearing, the Attorney General for Pakistan had a meeting with officials from the finance ministry and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also called on the AGP for consultation.

Special Secretary Finance Owais Manzoor Samra, Additional Secretary Finance Amar Mehmood and Additional Secretary Finance Tanveer Butt were present in the hearing.

Acting Governor State Bank Seema Kamil, Deputy Governor State Bank Inayat Hussain Chaudhry, Director State Bank Qadir Baksh and Protocol Officer State Bank Mohsin Afzal were also in attendance.

Secretary Election Commission, Additional Secretary Election Commission, and DG Law Election Commission were also present in the hearing.

Government Statement

The government, in a statement to the SC, stated that to “issue any money from the Federal Consolidated Fund and/or create a charge thereon, an Act of Parliament is necessary”, however, the bill for the release of electoral funds was rejected by the National Assembly.

“Issuance of any monies from the Federal Consolidated Fund is subject to parliamentary approval, which has been denied to the federal government by the Parliament for the purposes of holding general elections to the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies”.

The statement continued that “as a consequence” the government was not authorised “under the Constitution to ask the State Bank of Pakistan” for funds.

It should be noted that the Supreme Court had summoned the Governor State Bank, Ministry of Finance and Election Commission officials on personal status. On April 12, the Supreme Court had issued notices on the Election Commission’s report of non-supply of funds.