The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that it had not yet received the funds to be able to hold election in Punjab in order to meet the May 14 deadline set by the apex court.
While announcing the unanimous judgement on April 4, a three-member SC bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, had fixed May 14 as the new date for the election to the Punjab Assembly, as the apex court quashed the ECP’s decision to extend the polls date from April 10 to Oct 8.
The Supreme Court also directed the federal government to release funds to the tune of Rs21 billion by April 10 for holding the elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. “The commission will file a report in this regard before the court by April 11, explaining whether it has received the funds in full or in part,” the April 4 verdict added.
“The report will be placed before the members of the bench for consideration in chambers and if the funds have not been provided or there was a shortfall, the apex court may issue orders or directions as deemed appropriate to such person or authority as necessary,” the order read.
In compliance with the court order, the electoral watchdog has submitted the report to the SC through its registrar.
According to sources, the commission in the report has informed the apex court that contrary to its orders, the government had not provided it with Rs21 billion required to conduct the elections in Punjab and K-P. The ECP added that it was facing difficulties in issuing the schedule for the polls because of the lack of funds.
It seemed the government had missed the apex court deadline as it had not released the funds for the polls so far and instead referred the matter of election funds to parliament. The bill was referred to a standing committee and lawmakers are set to reconvene on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the PTI has also decided to move the court against the government's delay in the implementation of the SC verdict about the issuance of funds for the elections.
A day earlier, the government introduced a ‘money bill’ in parliament to settle the dispute over making Rs21 billion payments to the ECP for holding the polls in the two provinces.
Through the introduction of a new bill, the government has shifted the onus of approving Rs21 billion funds on parliament besides gaining more time for releasing money that the SC had directed to disburse to the ECP by April 10.
However, till the deadline, the ECP did not receive the money from the government.
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 releasing Rs21 billion to the commission for holding elections in Punjab and K-P.
The government has submitted that bill to the top court.
In a related development, the PTI has announced that it would file a petition in the court on Wednesday (today) over the violation of the apex court’s decision.
The decision was made during a huddle of the party’s senior leadership after consulting with legal and constitutional experts.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan also held a meeting with a lawyers’ delegation, which called on him at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
The lawyers’ delegation was led by third-time Punjab Bar Council member Chaudhry Babar Waheed and included Sangla Hill Bar President Muhammad Imran Mushtaq Batalvi, Sangla Hill Bar Secretary Khizar Hayyat, Ali Haider Chatha, Muhammad Ahmad, Mian Sharjeel and Chaudhry Ghulam Murtaza
The lawyers expressed their complete backing of the deposed premier’s stance for the “supremacy of the rule of law, independence of judiciary and strengthening of democracy”.
Following the Azad Jammu and Kashmir High Court’s order to disqualify the AJK premier, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should learn a lesson from the development.
He underscored the need to respect court decisions.
The PTI leader tweeted that respecting court decisions was necessary for the prime ministers of both Pakistan and AJK.
“The country cannot run after ruining its judicial system,” he added.
Fawad pointed out that AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas had tendered an unconditional apology to the court.
“We hope that he [Ilyas] would get relief from the Supreme Court. The prime minister of Pakistan should also learn lesson from the [AJK] court’s decision,” he continued.
PTI Additional Secretary Information Hasaan Khawar also tweeted that the court had disqualified the AJK premier for issuing a statement against the judiciary.
“Now we see what will be the fate of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who refuses to obey the apex court verdict by not releasing funds for the Punjab Assembly elections,” the PTI office-bearer added.
Khawar maintained that unprecedented inflation; high unemployment rate; as well as a rise in terrorism and lawlessness were the hallmarks of the current government.
“The whole population [of the country] is cursing the current rulers, who have deprived it of making both ends meet,” he further wrote.
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