No funds received for holding elections in Punjab, KP: ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday sought a compliance report from the finance ministry over the release of Rs21 billion in funds for holding general elections to the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

In pursuance of its order issued on April 19, the Supreme Court, through its Registrar’s office, issued a notice to the Ministry of Finance, seeking a compliance report on the release of Rs21 billion for the elections to the Punjab and KP assemblies.

It is pertinent to mention that on April 19, a three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsen and Justice Munib Akhtar, had declared as non-maintainable the plea of the Ministry of Defence seeking the holding of general elections across the country simultaneously. It directed the government to ensure the release of funds of Rs21 billion by April 27 to the Election Commission of Pakistan for holding of the general elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies.

The court had directed that appropriate remedial measures be taken in full measure not later than April 27, 2023 and, in particular, by that date, the sum of Rs21 billion be provided, in immediately available and realisable funds to the election commission for the holding of general elections to the Punjab and KPK assemblies.

The court, in its order, had noted that disobedience and defiance of the orders of the court can themselves have serious consequences.

The defence ministry had filed a plea in the apex court seeking elections across the country on the same date.

The defence ministry’s view was in line with the federal government’s stance, which has persistently opposed holding separate general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). It had submitted that the tenure of the National Assembly and the legislature of two other provinces, Sindh and Balochistan, will end later this year, and the federal government wanted the polls to take place then, not in May, as directed by the Supreme Court on April 4. The ministry had prayed to the apex court to recall its order passed on April 4, ordering the holding of elections in Punjab on May 14. It had further prayed to the apex court to issue directions for the general elections to the National and all provincial assemblies to be held together, upon completion of the terms of National and the other two provincial assemblies, i.e., Sindh and Balochistan. Meanwhile, the election commission on Friday also informed the apex court that it had not yet received the funds for holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).