ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday submitted a report on whether it has received funds from the federal government for general elections in the Punjab province.
In this regard, the ECP filed the report at the apex court’s Registrar’s Office in a sealed envelope. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar on April 4 had fixed May 14 as the polling day for the Punjab election, and asked the Commission to file a report in the court by April 11 stating whether the said Rs21 billion funds have been provided and received and if so, whether in full or in part.
On the other hand, the federal government, defying the court order, has so far not issued the funds for elections and instead referred the matter of election funds to the Parliament. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar introduced the “Charged Sums for General Elections (Provincial Assemblies of the Punjab and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)” Bill 2023 in both the houses of parliament.
The bill is aimed at carving a legal way for the release of Rs21 billion funds for holding elections in Punjab and KP. Dar introduced the piece of legislation as ‘money bill’, which gives the voting right on it to the National Assembly and a maximum 14-day time to the Senate to give the recommendations on the bill. The SC order said: “If the funds have not been provided or there is a shortfall, as the case may be, the court may make such orders and give such directions as are deemed appropriate to such person or authority as necessary in this regard.” A day ago, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja had written a letter to National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, proposing amendments to Sections 57 (1) and 58 of the Elections Act, 2017. Under the proposed amendments, the ECP wants its power back to announce and alter the election schedule at any stage without any intervention by a third party. “Section 11 of the original (peoples’ representation) Act of 1976 empowers the Commission to announce poll date unilaterally without any trace of intervention by a third party. The Section was amended through Ordinance No. 11 of 1985 (12.1.1985) with the sole object to create the role of the President to hold the elections at the whims of one man,” say the identical letters.