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) arrived at the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday for an in-chamber briefing over the government\u2019s failure to disburse Rs21 billion in funds for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
\nThe briefing is being held in the chamber of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, with Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar in attendance.
\nIn its April 4 verdict \u2014 issued by the top judge, Justice Ahsan and Justice Akhtar \u2014 the apex court had ordered the government to provide Rs21bn in funds to the ECP to conduct elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by April 10, and directed the ECP to provide a report to the court on whether or not the government complied with the order on April 11.
\nThe ECP, in a one-page report submitted earlier this week, informed the court about the government\u2019s reluctance to issue the amount needed for elections.
\nThe government, meanwhile, had referred the matter to Parliament to decide. A day earlier, the parliament defied the SC order and refused to issue the elections funds.
\nSubsequently, the top court issued notices to the finance secretary, SBP governor, AGP Awan and the ECP, directing them to appear before the judges\u2019 chamber on April 14 along with relevant reports.
\nEarlier today, before arriving at the court, AGP Awan held a meeting with the prime minister. Talking to the media on the way to the SC, he said that the parliament had refused to provide funds and the federal government had no authority over the matter now.
\n\u201cWe will tell this to the court during the in-chamber briefing today,\u201d he added.
\nYesterday, perhaps for the first time in the country\u2019s parliamentary history, the National Assembly rejected a money bill that the government had tabled to seek funds for conducting polls in Punjab and KP.
\nThe house rejected the Charged Sums for General Election (Provincial Assemblies of the Punjab and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Bill 2023 with a majority vote after Finance Minister Ishaq Dar informed the house that the standing committee had recommended not to approve the bill he introduced on April 10.
\nThe bill stated that funds required for conducting elections in both the provinces shall be \u201can expenditure charged upon the Federal Consolidated Fund (FCF)\u201d, which it said comprises all revenues received by the federal government, all loans raised by the government and all money received by it in repayment of any loan.
\nThe bill said that it shall \u201coverride other laws\u201d and have effect \u201cnotwithstanding anything contained in any other law, rules and regulations\u201d when it was in force.
\nIt added that the proposed law would stand repealed once elections for both the assemblies were held, noting that the general elections and polls to the Sindh and Balochistan assemblies need not be held for it to be repealed.
\nAs it summoned the AGP and other officials to the CJP\u2019s chambers earlier this week, the apex court warned that the failure of the federal government to comply with the April 4 direction regarding the release of funds for polls could have consequences.
\n\u201cThe consequences that can flow from such prima facie defiance of the court are well settled and known,\u201d it said.
\nThe court order said that every person who embarks upon, encourages or instigates disobedience or defiance of the court can be held liable and accountable.
\nThe result of the present prima facie disobedience is that yet again, the holding of general elections in a timely manner as mandated by the Constitution may be put in jeopardy, the order said, adding that question of the provision of funds for such a vital constitutional purpose is something that requires immediate attention which takes priority over proceeding against those who may have committed contempt of the court.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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