PM summons AGP ahead of Punjab polls funds delay hearing

CJ Bandial to head 3-member bench presiding over in-chamber hearing where top officials were summoned over polls funds

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif summoned Attorney General Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan on Friday before the Supreme Court (SC) hearing following the government’s failure to release funds for provincial elections.

Earlier this month, the apex court had declared as “unconstitutional” the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone elections in Punjab, in a blow to the government that has been trying to delay the provincial election citing security issues and the economic crisis.

The three-member bench — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan — had also fixed May 14 as the date for the poll in the province and ordered the federal government to provide Rs 21 billion for the purpose by April 10.

Later, the PM's cabinet directed the Ministry of Finance to prepare a summary in consultation with the Ministry of Law to get guidance from the parliament on this matter.

Read PM, cabinet to be disqualified if funds for polls not released: Fawad

Subsequently the National Assembly on Thursday ruled against providing funds defying SC orders and creating new discord between the judiciary and government amid months of political and economic turmoil.

Notably, the development came after the apex court had summoned the AGP alongside other top officials after the electoral watchdog had informed the SC that the government had failed to meet the April 10 deadline for the release of the funds.

Today, AGP Awan was at the SC premises when he was summoned by PM Shehbaz and returned only after holding a meeting with the premier.

Speaking candidly to journalists the AGP said, "how can funds be released when the parliament has prohibited it?"

Prior to the meeting, he had said that "because the parliament has blocked the release of funds, the government has no authority to provide them".

He also said that he would argue the government's case during the hearing in further detail.

It may be noted that the hearing is scheduled to be held at 11am in CJ Bandial's chamber where a three-member bench will preside over the proceedings.