ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Monday stated that there was no crisis in meeting the financial needs of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding the upcoming general elections after reports that the Ministry of Finance had failed to release funds to the election body despite repeated reminders.
The situation resulted in the summoning of the finance secretary by the ECP as well as prompting the poll body to consider writing to Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar.
Sources in ECP revealed that a total of Rs42 billion was allocated for holding general elections in this year’s budget but the finance ministry only released Rs10 billion so far. They further added that the remaining amount has been delayed without any explanation.
The ECP officials maintained that the poll body immediately needs Rs17 billion to hold general elections on February 8, 2024. Repeatedly, they said, the finance ministry was approached for releasing the funds but to no avail.
“There is no crisis on meeting the financial needs of the ECP. The cabinet had approved Rs42 billion for the budgetary needs of the ECP. An amount of Rs10 billion was already released,” Solangi wrote on his official X handle.
He said that the ECP has approached to release Rs17.4 billion out of the budgeted amount. “Whatever budgeted amount is needed by the ECP will be released as per its needs accordingly. We firmly stand behind the ECP in holding free and fair elections as mandated by article 218(3) of the Constitution,” he further said.
Meanwhile, the ECP has taken stern notice of the non-provision of earmarked funds for the February 8 general elections.
Upon the commission’s request, Finance Secretary of Pakistan Imad Ullah Bosal arrived at the ECP office for a meeting with officials of the election body to discuss the issue.
During the meeting, Bosal assured the required funds would be disbursed within the next two days to meet the commission’s financial needs.
It is important to note here that this is not the first time a debate has been triggered about a possible delay in holding general elections. The matter has remained in the spotlight time and again ever since the dissolution of the assembly just three days before the completion of its five-year term by the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led government.
Previously, the polls were delayed due to the lack of funds and the security situation. The polls could face further delay if the required amount is not released within time.
Shocking as it may seem, the country has not only faced a delay in the general elections but, polls in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have also not been held within the 90-day constitutional period.
It all started after the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan decided to dissolve PTI governments in both provinces in January this year. PTI had envisaged that the move would force the coalition government at the Centre to go for snap polls but it did not lead to that.
Later on, the matter was taken up by the Supreme Court. However, even now the matter remains pending to date while the interim governments have continued to function beyond the three-month constitutional limit.
Among other things, the tussle between the ECP and President Arif Alvi also contributed to the polls’ controversy as both sides opined that it was solely their prerogative to announce the polls’ date.
Once again, the top court had to intervene and direct the ECP to meet the president and announce the polls’ date. It was after this that the February 8 date was announced.
