ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly of Pakistan has approved a summary sent by the Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue recommending that funds worth PKR 21 billion for holding the elections not be released to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
This comes in spite of a Supreme Court order directing the State Bank of Pakistan to release the funds for elections in Punjab and send an “appropriate communication” to the ministry of finance by April 17.
The NA committee’s report was presented by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, who maintained that spending twice on holding elections is not in the country’s interest. He added that the Ministry of Finance had already stated that it does not have sufficient funds to hold general elections in Punjab on May 14.
National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue meeting
During a special meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, SBP Acting Governor Sima Kamil informed the NA panel that the regulator has allocated PKR 21 billion for the ECP to conduct elections in Punjab on the directives of the Supreme Court, but it does not have the authority to directly release funds. The law minister informed the panel that the trustees of government funds are people’s elected representatives.
However, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who was summoned by the NA body, did not attend the meeting as he was in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, according to sources.
PML-N leader Barjees Tahir questioned how the Supreme Court could direct the SBP to release funds and added that if elections are held in Punjab separately, it will probably affect the results of the general elections of the other provinces later.
Meanwhile, Aisha Ghaus Pasha, State Minister for Finance and Revenue emphasized that the SBP cannot spend money without the permission of parliament. She said that even the Finance Division cannot spend without permission from the cabinet and the lower house.
The Supreme Court had directed the central bank to release the funds after the Election Commission submitted a report informing the Supreme Court that the Ministry of Finance had failed to release the required funds as ordered by the three-member bench on April 4.
It remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved and whether the funds will be released to the ECP in time for the upcoming elections in Punjab.
