Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Finance and Revenue on Thursday rejected a bill seeking release of funds worth $21 billion for the Election Commission of Pakistan to move forward for conducting the elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assemblies.
Three-member bench of the Supreme Court had already directed the federal government to release the funds after fixing May 14 as a date for holding elections in Punjab.
However, the government had sent the matter to the Parliament for deciding on the matter. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday tabled a bill titled “Charged Sum for General Election (Provincial Assemblies of Punjab & Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Bill 2023”.
Presiding over the committee, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh sought briefing on the bill to which State Minister for Finance Ayesha Ghaus Pasha said: “This year, Rs 5 billion were allocated for the election commission. Now the Supreme Court has asked to give Rs 21billion. This is why this demand was brought into the money bill.”
Mutahidda Qaumi Movement’s Sabir Hussain Kaimkhani said, “First, this should be told why was it brought into the money bill this time.”
The minister replied, “Parliament’s approval is also required for such a huge amount to be approved by the federal consolidated fund.
PML-N leader Barjees Tahir said, “It is a governmental bill, members have come from afar. The finance minister should take the members into confidence.
“The bill hasn’t been passed yet and the eight judges have sat in the Supreme Court (on the Supreme Court rule bill). The way funds are being received through black-mailing, we express our solidarity with the government,” Tahir said.
He added, “We say to the government to not pay heed to such black-mailing.”
ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan said they knew about the current situation of the Finance Division, but the watchdog had to submit a report in the Supreme Court.
The state minister said the government did not have the funds since the country was currently in the IMF programme.
Sheikh then asked if any such a bill had come forward in the past and why the need arose now.
A law ministry official said the money bill was presented before the finance committee after the parliament, to which the committee chairman replied that he has not seen so happening in the past 10 years.
“It is the decision of the standing committee on finance that any governmental bill will not be approved till the finance minister himself comes and briefs the committee,” Sheikh said.
At one point during the meeting, BAP’s Magsi said, “The treasury is empty now. The matter of the provision of funds to the election commission will come later. Elections in the entire country should be held at once.
“Punjab elections should not be held four months prior [to the designated time] — Punjab is the largest province. If Punjab elections are held before other provinces, it will impact the election of those other provinces,” he further said.
Pasha said, “The economic situation of the country is such that the budget situation is under extreme pressure. The government is facing extreme financial issues.
The PML-N leader continued, “The government inherited heavy financial loss. The IMF (international monetary fund) program is being restored and an economic review is ongoing.
“The economy is under pressure due to the international situation, including the Ukraine war, and the floods. The economic growth rate has also reduced,” Pasha said.
The committed demanded to reject the bill as its chairman objected as to why the bill was not put up before the budget committee. The bill was then rejected by the committee unanimously.
