ISLAMABAD – In line with the orders of the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has submitted a report to the apex court, informing that it had not received funds from the government for holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A representative of the electoral body submitted the report to the top court’s registrar in a sealed envelope. The federal government has not issued the funds despite the court order and instead tabled the money bill 2023 titled “Charged Sum for General Election (Provincial Assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Bill, 2023” in the National Assembly on Monday.
Speaking on this occasion, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said the government was laying this bill before the House in light of the top court’s orders to release Rs21 billion to the ECP for holding general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A three-member special bench led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan had declared the ECP’s order unconstitutional.
The court directed the federal government to issue Rs21 billion funds to Election Commission by April 10 and asked the electoral watchdog to submit a report in court before the deadline.
