The National Assembly’s (NA) standing commitee on finance rejected the bill seeking the release of Rs21 billion in funds for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) elections on Thursday.

NA standing committee on finance presented a report before the assembly session, presided over by NA speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, delineating the rejection of the release. The session was adjourned till April 26 (Wednesday).

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Earlier, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had tabled the Election Expenses Bill in the National Assembly to seek its approval.

Read Also: NA summons in-camera session on Friday as SC issues notices to top officials

The Money Bill (Charged Sum for General Elections to provincial assemblies of Punjab and KP) 2023, presented in the parliament stated that the required funds for the elections in Punjab and KP should be “an expenditure charged upon the Federal Consolidated Fund”, which it said comprises all revenues received by the federal government, all loans raised by that government, and all money received by it in repayment of any loan.

The bill further stated that it should “override other laws” and have effect “notwithstanding anything contained in any other law, rules and regulations” when it was in force.

It added that the proposed law would stand repealed once the elections to both the assemblies were held, noting that the general elections and polls to Sindh and Balochistan assemblies need not be held for it to be repealed.

Mr Dar tabled the bill in the assembly as the Supreme Court (SC) had ordered the federal government to release funds for elections until April 10 alongside ordering the ECP to hold elections in Punjab on May 14. The court subsequently ordered the electoral watchdog to present a report on the provision of funds on April 11.

The ECP, on April 11, apprised the SC in a report that the government had not provided funds to the commission for holding elections in Punjab. According to the Election Commission, the government had not yet provided Rs21 billion despite SC’s order and the Punjab caretaker government had agreed to provide only 75000 personnel for security. “There is a shortage of three lakh security personnel for the elections in Punjab,” the ECP noted.

Upon this, the court issued notices to top officials including Attorney General Manssor Awan, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad, Secretary of the Finance department, and Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over failing to provide funds for upcoming Punjab elections.

The apex court pointed out that the federal government, as per the report of the ECP presented to the court, had not granted the funds which was a violation of the court’s orders. In light of this, the court summoned all the officers concerned to appear before the chamber on April 14.