SBP, ECP submit reports on release of election fund in Supreme Court

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Tuesday submitted their respective reports to the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the release of Rs21 billion for polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Aaj News reported.

A three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar ordered the government to release funds in an April 4 verdict.

The apex court had ordered the government to provide Rs21bn to the ECP to conduct elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by April 10, and directed the ECP to provide a report on whether or not the government complied with the order on April 11. However, the government referred the matter to Parliament which defied the court’s orders and refused to issue the funds.

Last week, the ECP submitted a report to the Supreme Court in a sealed envelope about the non-provision of funds from the government.

Subsequently, the court had directed the SBP to release funds worth Rs21bn for elections from Account No I — a principal component of the Federal Cons¬olidated Fund worth Rs1.39 trillion — and send an “appropriate communication” to this effect to the finance ministry by April 17.

Following the top court’s orders, the central bank on Monday allocated the funds and sought the finance ministry’s nod to release the amount.

Approval of the government is required to release the amount from the FCF while the government has to get the National Assembly’s approval for its release. But the same day, the coalition government managed through the NA the rejection of its own demand for the provision of Rs21bn as a supplementary grant to the ECP for holding polls in the two provinces.

Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf put the motion before the house for a voice vote after it was moved by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on behalf of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar through a supplementary agenda.