ECP seeks funds to hold cantonment board polls

ECC also expected to sanction a supplementary grant of $300m to buy Covid vaccines

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought Rs215 million for the holding of local government elections scheduled to be held in 45 cantonment boards across the country on September 12.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet is likely to approve the grant in its meeting on Tuesday (today) under the chairmanship of Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin.

The coordination committee is also expected to sanction a technical supplementary grant of $300 million to the Ministry of Health for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines during the current year. This amount has been approved by the Asian Development Bank.

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According to a copy of the plan of the meeting available with The Express Tribune, the ECC will mull over a three-point agenda. The committee is expected to approve a grant of Rs215 million for the holding of local bodies polls in 45 cantonment boards across the country.

The PTI, PPP and PML-N have finalised their candidates for the cantonment board elections, which were pending since 2019. With the new delimitation, the number of wards in the cantonments has increased from 200 to 219.

The ECC meeting will also deliberate over a summary of the financial difficulties faced by the Roosevelt Hotel in New York and the cooperation extended by the Government of Pakistan.