ISLAMABAD: Parliament once again refused to provide 21 billion rupees to the Election Commission of Pakistan for the general elections in Punjab.
The National Assembly on Monday approved by a majority vote the federal government to provide 21 billion rupees to the federal government to meet the expenses incurred by the ECP during the current fiscal year for holding general elections in Punjab. The demand was rejected.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supported the demand while the government members opposed and later the House rejected the resolution by a majority vote. Earlier, the National Assembly approved the report of the Standing Committee on the issue of funds for the first elections in Punjab, in which the Standing Committee recommended not to release funds without the approval of the National Assembly.
In response to media reports, Chief Law Minister Nazir Tarar tabled the report of the Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on the matter to discuss and make recommendations that the Supreme Court ordered the State Bank of Pakistan to release funds to the ECP. Directed. Polling in Punjab without prior approval of the National Assembly.
The National Assembly approved the report of the Standing Committee, after which the Law Minister presented a summary of Rs 21 billion to the federal government to meet the expenses of holding elections in Punjab. The House rejected the supplementary demand by majority vote.
The National Assembly also paid homage to late Minister of Religious Affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor. Speaking in the National Assembly, the Law Minister said that the Federal Cabinet has referred the matter to the National Assembly, which has the authority to approve or disapprove additional expenses under Article 82 (2) and 84 of the Constitution.
He said that apart from the charged expenses, funds in the Federal Consolidated Fund can be given only after the approval of the House as no other body has any authority in this regard. He said that the Supreme Court in its order had directed to take its approval automatically, but the Standing Committee on Finance had directed the Finance Division to take up the matter in the federal cabinet and present it in the form of a demand or a bill. .
He said the appropriate forum was the National Assembly, which “sanctions expenditure from the Federal Consolidated Fund” and that was why the Cabinet referred the matter to the House. He said that this house passed the resolution to hold elections on the same day in the entire country.
He said that the Supreme Court had ordered the State Bank to release the money from the Federal Consolidated Fund, adding that the Cabinet and the Standing Committee referred the matter to the House.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif demanded an investigation into the $3 billion soft loans, claiming that during the coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan got a $3 billion loan on soft terms and that the money was used by the previous government to give to its favourites. was given to He said that if the $3 billion is true, the details should be given to the Standing Committee on Finance as the machinery imported from abroad was also not returned from this loan.
The Defense Minister said that the PTI government has disbursed 3 billion dollars in the name of loans and gave the details of all those who were given soft loans. He said that the House has the right to ask for details.
Speaker National Assembly Raja Parvez Ashraf referred the matter to the Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue and directed that the report be presented in the National Assembly. Earlier, the Federal Cabinet sent the Finance Ministry’s summary to the National Assembly regarding the provision of funds to the ECP for the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A cabinet meeting was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The forum expressed deep sorrow and grief over the death of Mufti Abdul Shakoor in a car accident and also recited Fatiha for the repose of his soul.
Addressing the meeting, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the religious and political services of late Mufti Abdul Shakoor. He said that Mufti Sahib was a practicing Muslim scholar and a person with immense knowledge.
The Forum also congratulated Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman for being included in the Times magazine’s list of 100 most influential world leaders for speaking out on climate change.
Meanwhile, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) told the National Standing Committee on Finance that the central bank had allocated funds of Rs 21 billion for conducting elections in Punjab on the direction of the Supreme Court, but they had not released the funds. There is no option.
Acting Governor of State Bank Seema Kamil told the parliamentary panel that in order to comply with the order of the Supreme Court, the State Bank allocated funds of Rs. It was not the bank.
A special NA panel meeting chaired by ruling party MNA Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh was held at the Parliament House here on Monday, in which the Finance Ministry was directed to prepare a summary and submit it to the federal cabinet and then submit it. . Presented before the National Assembly. Federal Minister for Law Nazir Tarar, Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman, Auditor General of Pakistan Ajmal Gondal attended the special meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance on special invitation. Minister of State for Finance Ayesha Ghos Pasha, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Finance Tariq Bajwa and Acting Governor State Bank Seema Kamil also attended the meeting.
Acting State Bank Governor told the panel that he has received a notice from the Supreme Court regarding the amount lying in the government account of the federal government and whether these funds can be provided to the ECP for conducting elections in Punjab. are He said that State Bank told the Supreme Court that they can allocate funds but cannot release these funds. These funds will remain in the government account after allocation. After the approval of the Ministry of Finance, these funds can be released with the consent of AGPR.
Law Minister Nazir Tarar told the NA panel that he wanted to read out the Supreme Court order on the issue of holding elections in Punjab and KP, but committee member Burgis Tahir stopped him and said that holding elections in Punjab is doomed. Which will happen because whoever wins in Punjab, the same party will win in the other three provinces as well. If someone wants to harm the country, then first conduct elections in Punjab.
The Attorney General told the NA panel that there could be a way to hold the election on account of other expenses, but the Supreme Court ordered approval from Parliament. Now the question arises, who will be responsible for releasing the funds if Parliament does not approve by the end of June 2023?
