ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday is reported to have ordered State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to disburse funds to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The order by SC came after Shehbaz Sharif-led PDM coalition submitted its statement during the in-chamber proceedings, saying it “has carried out its legal and constitutional obligations in pursuance of the directions in paragraph 5 of the (SC) order dated April 4, 2023, in CP 5,2023,” adding that after rejection by National Assembly on April 13, the federal government was not authorized under the constitution to ask either the State Bank of Pakistan which is the custodian of funds in terms of Agreement dated 23-06-1949 entered into between the President of Pakistan and the State Bank of Pakistan, or for that matter, any other office/or authority to release the funds so directed by this Hon’ble Court.
Sources told MM News that during the in-chamber proceedings, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to submit a report on the funds by Monday. According to sources, the State Bank has been instructed to provide 21 billion rupees to the Ministry of Finance, which will then disburse the funds to the Election Commission.
Officials from the Ministry of Finance informed the Supreme Court about the country’s bad economic situation, citing high debts and potential difficulties in providing funds.
Despite this, sources suggest that both the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank did not deny the provision of funds in the hearing.
The Supreme Court has also reportedly asked the Election Commission to provide a report on security, indicating concerns over the safety and stability of the upcoming election.
Earlier today, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Deputy Governor Sima Kamil, finance secretaries and officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) appeared in an in-chamber hearing and briefed the Supreme Court (SC) on the government’s failure to disburse Rs21 billion in funds for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The hearing — which lasted for more than an hour — was held in the chamber of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, with Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar in attendance.
Court reports said the judges of the Apex Court expressed displeasure when AGP stated that the government cannot release funds for elections as it has been prevented by Parliament.
Attorney General Mansoor met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for consultations prior to the in-chamber hearing. During a later media talk, the AG mentioned that the government had been prevented from releasing funds by parliament, and therefore lacked the authority to do so.
“If parliament has prohibited the government from releasing funds, how can it do so?” the AG questioned. It is worth noting that on April 12, the Supreme Court had issued notices related to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s report on the government’s failure to release Rs21 billion for the Punjab elections, despite the federal government being instructed to do so.
