NA approves summary for not releasing election funds of Rs21bn to ECP

The National Assembly on Monday approved a summary sent by the Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue regarding the non-provision of funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the committee’s report during the NA session, which was then approved by the lower house of parliament.

Speaking on the floor of the house, Tarar said the apex court’s decision to hold the election in Punjab on May 14 had been to “please one man”, apparently referring to the former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

He added that the parliament had passed a resolution to hold elections all over the country on the same day.

Earlier in the day, a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue was called earlier today to discuss the SC order regarding the disbursement of funds.

The committee sent a summary to the federal cabinet, recommending that funds amounting to Rs21 billion for holding the elections not be released.

Later, the cabinet referred the matter to the National Assembly.

“The federal cabinet has referred a summary by the finance ministry, based on recommendations made by the NA Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on providing the election commission with funds for elections in Punjab and KP, to Parliament,” a handout issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said.

 

The development has made the fate of the Supreme Court’s deadline to issue funds for polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa became more uncertain.

The apex court had directed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to allocate and release” Rs21bn by April 17 (today) for elections in two provinces from the Federal Consolidated Fund (FCF) “lying under its control and management”.

SC had also instructed the central bank to send an “appropriate communication” to this effect to the finance ministry in this regard.