ECP declines to divulge Feb 8 polls expenditure details before Senate body

ISLAMABAD: After the Senate's Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs sought details of internal and the 2024 general elections' expenditures, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) excused itself from providing relevant information.

The Senate body's session was held under the chair of Senator Mohammad Humayun Mohmand on Tuesday sought details of the salaries of the ECP members and employees, as well as their travel expenses and the expenditures for the 2024 general elections.

However, ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan sent a letter to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, a copy of which is available with Geo News, stating that the upper house's standing committee was exceeding its jurisdiction by questioning the commission's expenditures "which is 'charged' against Federal Consolidated Fund".

"ECP is not obliged to provide the requisite information," the commission's secretary stated in a letter, saying that it is an "independent constitutional body" unlike other ministries, divisions, and its associated public bodies.

It added that the poll organising authority was neither representing the federal government nor any provincial government and is therefore, outside the purview of the Senate body on parliamentary affairs.

"Accordingly, the budget allocated to the Election Commission is not voted in the National Assembly for inclusion in the Annual Budget Statement as provided in Article 82(1) ibid," it read.

The ECP also stated that it is ready to assist the parliamentary body on legislative business pertaining to the election laws and constitutional provisions, as per its defined role.

Responding to the letter, the committee chairman Senator Mohmand lamented that the ECP was stating that it was not answerable to parliament that "established it".

The chairman added that the Senate body, as per the rules, has powers to summon any individual including the chief election commissioner (CEC) and ECP officials besides reviewing documents and records.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Mohsin Aziz demanded the Senate body to reject the ECP's letter and reminded that the commission's representatives had appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the past.

To this, parliamentary affairs' secretary said that the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs was only authorised to look into legislative affairs of the ECP and suggested that guidance should be sought from the Senate chairman on the matter.

In November 2022, the commission had approved over Rs47 billion for organising general polls.

However, the cost of holding nationwide polls in phases soared to Rs61.805 billion from Rs47.417 billion, with an additional amount of Rs14.388 billion sought by the commission from the Finance Ministry in January last year, The News had reported.