The Supreme Court of Pakistan Friday directed the State Bank of Pakistan to release Rs21 billion in funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding elections for the Punjab Assembly.
This comes after the federal government failed to provide the sum on the allotted date. The court orders were given during an in-chamber hearing headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial.
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The judges expressed their anger regarding the non-disbursement of funds and informed the Attorney General for Pakistan that court orders must be followed in the suo motu notice regarding the postponement of Punjab polls.
The government, in a statement to the SC, said that an Act of Parliament is necessary to issue any money from the Federal Consolidated Fund and/or create a charge thereon.
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However, the bill for the release of electoral funds was rejected by the National Assembly. The statement further added that “as a consequence” the government was not authorized “under the Constitution to ask the State Bank of Pakistan” for funds.
Before the hearing, the AGP had a meeting with officials from the finance ministry, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also called on the AGP for consultation.
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Special Secretary Finance Owais Manzoor Samra, Additional Secretary Finance Amar Mehmood and Additional Secretary Finance Tanveer Butt were present at the hearing. Acting Governor State Bank Seema Kamil, Deputy Governor State Bank Inayat Hussain Chaudhry, Director State Bank Qadir Baksh, and Protocol Officer State Bank Mohsin Afzal were also in attendance. The ECP secretary, additional secretary, and director-general of Law ECP were also present at the hearing.
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The apex court will issue a formal order after Friday prayers.
