NA committee rejects bill seeking release of funds for Punjab, KP polls

Members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue unanimously rejected the Bill tabled by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in Lower House seeking release of funds for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elections.

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar Monday tabled a bill pertaining to funds for general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hours before the deadline given by the Supreme Court for disbursal of Rs21 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ends.

The bill titled “Charged Sums for General Elections of Provincial Assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bill 2023″ was presented in both houses of the parliament — National Assembly and Senate — minutes after the federal cabinet approved a summary prepared by the Ministry of Finance regarding the expenditure on elections.

The Supreme Court, in its April 4 verdict, had directed the federal government to release and provide ECP with funds worth Rs21 billion in any case by April 10 for polls.

While presenting the bill in the National Assembly, the finance minister said that it is now the responsibility of the parliament to decide whether funds to ECP should be released or not.

Expressing his views in the lower house, Dar said snap polls ordered by the apex court were not in the national interest due to security, and economic situation.

“Elections in all assemblies should be held on the same date,” the finance minister said, adding that the government laid this bill before the parliament in light of the Supreme Court’s orders to release Rs21 billion to the ECP.

The finance czar recalled that the lower house had also passed a resolution that the apex court’s order into the suo motu notice regarding holding elections in Punjab is a decision of 4-3 and the judgment of 3-0 is a minority verdict and that “should not be implemented”.