Islamabad (Web Desk): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday submitted their reports to the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the provision of funds for elections in Punjab.
According to details, all reports have been sent to the apex court registrar's office and will be sent to the concerned judges in their chambers.
As per the report by the electoral body, the state bank has failed to transfer the funds of Rs21 billion by April 17.
Meanwhile, the SBP has submitted its own account detailing the reasons behind its failure in releasing the amount.
The Finance Ministry, through the Attorney General's Office, has also submitted its report on the matter and included the details of the federal cabinet's decision to return the matter to the parliament.
Moreover, the ministry has also informed the apex court of the assistance provided to the SBP and the relevant legal aspects related to the transfer of funds.
On April 4, a three-member SC bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar had directed the electoral body to hold elections in Punjab on May 14, and the federal government to provide funds amounting to Rs21 billion to ECP by April 10.
The SC on April 14, had ordered the SBP to release funds worth Rs21 billion to the ECP for polls in Punjab and KP and send an “appropriate communication” to this effect to the finance ministry by Monday (April 17).
However, on April 17, the National Assembly (NA) rejected the demand of providing funds for the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa to Election ECP.
On Monday, NA Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue returned matters concerning funds for elections to the government.
Funds were allocated by the SBP in compliance with court orders, only for the matter to be sent to the federal cabinet which later placed it before the National Assembly.
On the same day, the lower house rejected the government's motion to grant Rs21 billion to the federal government to meet the expenditure, other than charged, during the financial year ending June 30, 2023, in respect of the ECP.