In a swift response to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) apprehensions regarding delayed funds for the upcoming general elections, the federal government disbursed Rs17.4 billion on Tuesday.
The move is another attempt of the caretaker set up to dispel the notion of any delay in the elections.
The Finance Division confirmed that the newly released amount supplements the Rs10 billion disbursed in July 2023, bringing the total allocation to Rs27.4 billion for facilitating the general elections.
In a statement, the Finance Division affirmed its commitment to providing funds promptly, stating, “Finance Division remains committed to the provision of funds as and when required by the Election Commission of Pakistan.”
Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal, summoned by the commission after the Finance Ministry’s initial unresponsiveness, assured the ECP that the funds earmarked for the upcoming general elections would be released within a day or two.
Addressing concerns raised by the electoral watchdog, caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi emphasized on social media platform X the other day that there is no crisis in meeting the financial needs of the Election Commission. He disclosed that the cabinet has already approved Rs42 billion for the ECP’s budgetary requirements, with Rs10 billion already disbursed.
Solangi reiterated the government’s commitment to releasing the necessary budgeted amount, emphasizing strong support for the ECP in ensuring free and fair elections.
The ECP has finalized the delimitation of constituencies for the national and four provincial assemblies, with the election schedule expected to be announced later this month.
Originally set for December 15, the final list of delimitations was revised to November 30, in accordance with Article 51(3) of the Constitution, specifying that the National Assembly consists of 266 general seats, 60 reserved for women, and an additional 10 for non-Muslims.
General elections will be on February 8, 2024 and there is controversy surrounding across the country that the snags may hit the polls.
