ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in compliance with the court order, conveyed the Supreme Court yesterday that it had yet not received the funds for holding Punjab Assembly elections.
The election body said the conduct of polls on May 14 in Punjab is getting impossible as it has not received funds and forces required for maintaining law and order.
Officials of the State Bank of Pakistan and Finance Division also submitted their respective reports on the subject.
The ECP said, “At least 4.66 million personnel are required for security in Punjab.”
The electoral authority added that it had written a letter to the federation for providing Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Rangers personnel, but did not receive a reply.
The ECP added that April 18 was the last date to make payment for the printing of ballot papers. “Printing of electoral rolls with photographs is already delayed,” it stated. The electoral body mentioned that it is its responsibility to conduct transparent, fair and peaceful polls.
“In view of the ground facts, October 8 is the appropriate date to conduct elections,” it said and added that if there is no adherence to this date, then there is fear of anarchy in the country. The Central Bank also submitted its re the reasons for not allocating funds for this purpose. “They can allocate funds... Did not have the authority to release funds directly,” it conveyed
A three-member bench at the country’s top court — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — on April 14 had directed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to release funds for polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by April 17.
The same bench had, in an earlier order, fixed May 14 as the new date for the election to the Punjab Assembly, as it quashed the ECP’s decision to extend the polls date from April 10 to Oct 8.
The court ordered the State Bank and the Finance Ministry/ Division to file the compliance reports on 18-04-23, while the Finance Ministry report shall also include a confirmation in relation to AGPR. The Election Commission of Pakistan was asked to file report on 18.04.2023 confirming that Rs21 billion have become available to it.
The order said that the sum of Rs21 billion shall be and become available to and with the Election Commission in immediately releasable and utilizable funds for the purposes of holding the general elections to the Punjab and KP Assemblies. All the entities i.e. the State Bank, Finance Ministry/Division, AGPR and the Election Commission must act together and coordinate fully so that the order and direction of the Court is implemented within the stipulated time-frame.
The court noted that this order shall be deemed sufficient authority for all purposes for the authorization of expenditure on the Federal Consolidated Fund and the federal government shall thereupon obtain the ex post facto approval and sanction from the National Assembly for authorisation of this expenditure in terms of Article 84 and other applicable provisions of the Constitution.
The bench on 4th April order inter alia said; “The federal government shall forthwith and in any case by 10.04.2023 release and provide to the Commission funds i.e. Rs21 Billion for the general elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies.”
As the government did not release funds to the ECP, the court therefore on April 12 had issued notices to Governor and next most senior official of State Bank of Pakistan, Secretary and next most senior official of Ministry of Finance and the Secretary and Director General (Law) of the Commission for April 14.