ISLAMABAD: According to the directive of the Supreme Court, the funds of 21 billion rupees for conducting elections in Punjab could not be released to the Election Commission of Pakistan till Monday. April 10 was the last day to release the funds.
However, as per the decision of the Federal Cabinet, the government tabled the Money Bill 2023 in the National Assembly titled “Charged Sum for General Election (Provincial Assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Bill 2023”.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presented the Money Bill 2023. National Assembly Speaker Raja Parvez Ashraf sent the bill to the Finance Committee of the National Assembly for consideration. Dar said that the government is placing the bill before the House in the light of the Supreme Court orders to release Rs 21 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for conducting general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Finance Minister said that the Federal Cabinet in its recent meeting considered the orders of the Supreme Court and taking into consideration the resolution of the House, the will of the Parliament to take a final decision regarding the allocation of funds for the general elections of Punjab and KP. asked for
He said that when the elected government was removed, our economy was destroyed. He said that PTI is trying hard to default the country. The finance minister said that he canceled his visit to the US on the instructions of the prime minister in the current situation. He said that Pakistan is very close to signing a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is satisfied with the steps taken by the government to revive the loan program.
Ishaq Dar claimed that since July 2022 till now, Pakistan has returned foreign debt of 12 billion dollars. “We are paying every foreign payment on time,” he added. He said that Pakistan currently has foreign exchange reserves of $9.6 billion. He added that Pakistan’s reserves total $9.60 billion – $4.10 billion available with the State Bank of Pakistan and $5.50 billion with commercial banks. He said that the government has formulated a strategy to take the domestic foreign exchange reserves to 13 billion dollars by June 30. He said that the government has also improved its relations with friendly countries and international partners. What is it.
Dar said that the government has taken steps to curb the illegal flight of capital from the country, which is showing encouraging signs. He said that the government has formulated a policy to eliminate untargeted subsidy and provide targeted subsidy to deserving people with low income. He said that the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) funds have also been increased from Rs 360 billion to Rs 400 billion.
The federal minister said that the elections in the country will be in accordance with the law and constitution, but should be held on the same day across the country under the supervision of the caretaker governments. He said that the holding of simultaneous elections in the country will reduce the total expenditure and ensure fairness and transparency. He said that the census process at a cost of 35 billion rupees is nearing completion.
Ishaq Dar said that the economic crisis left behind by the previous government was more complicated than that of 2013 and the 1990s. However, he claimed that the country has come out of the quagmire due to the wise policies of the present government.
Also, the Senate on Monday passed a resolution, moved by the Treasury Benches, calling for simultaneous general elections to all provincial assemblies and the National Assembly to ‘strengthen the federation’.
The resolution, which was not listed on the order of the day, was moved by National Party Senator Tahir Bizenjo during the Private Members’ Day proceedings after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) walked out of the House.
The atmosphere was disturbed by the noise of the opposition legislators. When PTI lawmakers staged a token walkout from the House over the rejection of another resolution, moved by a party member, to resume the PTI-led government’s federal Ehsaas Rashan State programme, The Chair asked Senator Finance to move the resolution. Who read it easily.
Meanwhile, the main opposition party returned to the House only to protest the passage of the resolution, calling it another attempt to attack the coalition government’s top judiciary and undermine the Supreme Court’s ruling that 14 A new date was set for May. For Punjab Assembly General Elections
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani passed the resolution unanimously, but later he counted one vote against it and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmed objected that he had opposed the resolution.
“This House is of the opinion that in the spirit of Article 218 (of the Constitution) general elections to all Assemblies should be held at the same time under the watchdog setup under Article 224,” the resolution said. Political and economic stability in the country”.
The resolution, signed by lawmakers from all ruling coalition parties in the House, called for holding separate elections in Punjab’s largest federal unit, which holds more than 50 percent of the National Assembly seats. It will inevitably affect the results of the general elections. Lower House of Parliament in Provinces: This will undermine the role of smaller provinces in the Federation.
When the House passed the resolution, the Jamaat-e-Islami senator opposed it, saying the draft had not been shared with the opposition and warned that the government would face defeat if it wanted to resolve issues in this way.
He then referred to the recent meeting of the Central Executive Committee of the People’s Party which said that all stakeholders should hold talks and proceed with the dissolution of all other assemblies for elections.
Leader of the Opposition Dr Shehzad Wasim delivered a scathing speech, rejecting the resolution, alleging that ‘a crime has been committed on the floor of the House which is unprecedented in parliamentary history, as the resolution was passed in secret. The time when PTI was on token walkout. The people of Pakistan stand by the decision of the Supreme Court… Punjab elections must be held within the deadline given by the Supreme Court.
He made it clear that this would not legitimize things and termed the move as unparliamentary, illegal and unethical. Tearing the copy of the agenda, he said that the treasury has stabbed the opposition in the back and demanded that the resolution be voted on again.
However, the chair ruled that the House had already passed the resolution and pointed out that the PTI legislators were sitting in the lobby, which was part of the House, and should have resumed their seats to participate in the voting. .
He explained that 60 members voted in favor of the resolution and one against it, amidst the uproar of the PTI legislators. Law Minister Senator Azam Nazir Tarar said that the opposition should at least take care of parliamentary traditions as the resolution was tabled after the approval of nine parliamentary parties sitting in the House.
He alleged, “They (PTI) are used to boycott and don’t want to listen to others and this resolution has been passed in the true spirit of Article 224, which states that nationwide caretaker seats Elections should be held under you and PTI did not want to sit together and talk.
Earlier, the House rejected a PTI resolution on the agenda, demanding that the federal government resume the stalled Ehsaas Ration State programme, after which Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Security Shazia Murry strongly opposed it, for which he faced severe criticism. Senators of PTI including Aun Abbas. He alleged that the minister was in the habit of lecturing on ethics in the House but the three treasury vehicles were being misused.
However, the minister alleged that the previous PTI government had not allocated any budget for the programme.
Meanwhile, the joint session of Parliament passed the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 with a majority, which abolished the powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).
The PTI senators raised slogans, tore copies of the bill and threw them at the Speaker’s chair.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani were also present on the occasion of approval of the bill.
The bill was earlier passed by the National Assembly and the Senate and sent to the President for assent. However, the President exercised his powers under Article 75(1) of the Constitution and returned the bill to the joint session for reconsideration.
The bill will now be sent back to the President, and under Article 75(2) of Parliament, if not assented to by him within 10 days, it will become an Act of Parliament.
As per the amendment in Section 5, an appeal shall be filed within 30 days from the final order of a Bench of the Supreme Court, which shall exercise the jurisdiction of a larger Bench of the Supreme Court and such appeal shall be heard within a period of time. will be filed for 14 days.
The House also allowed an amendment to Clause 5, which provides that an appeal shall lie within thirty days from the order of a Bench of the Supreme Court, exercising jurisdiction under Clause (3) of Article 184 of the Constitution. doing. to the Supreme Court and to fix a period not exceeding 14 days for the hearing of such appeal. Earlier, the word exercise was used instead of exercise.
The earlier draft used the word “exercising” which was replaced by “exercising” in the amendment. The amendment was moved by PMLN member Shiza Fatima Khawaja.
The bill proposes that every case, appeal or matter before the Supreme Court shall be heard and disposed of by a bench constituted by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and two senior judges in order of seniority. will
By another amendment, which was passed by the joint session, the committee would be convened by the Chief Justice or any of the other two senior judges who are its members.
It further states that any matter of exercise of original jurisdiction under Clause (3) of Article 184 of the Constitution shall first be placed before the Committee for examination and if the Committee is of the opinion that the application of the law It is a question of public importance. If any of the fundamental rights are involved, he shall constitute a bench of at least three judges of the Supreme Court, which may also include members of the committee to decide the matter.
The Bill recommends that an appeal be filed within 30 days from the final order of a bench of the Supreme Court, which will exercise the jurisdiction of a larger bench of the Supreme Court, and 14 days for hearing such appeal. will be filed within a period of not more than Additionally, it gives a party the right to appoint counsel of his choice to file a review petition.
An application seeking urgent or interim relief filed in any cause, appeal or matter shall be fixed for hearing within 14 days from the date of filing.
The Bill states that the right of appeal shall be available to persons against whom an order has been passed before the commencement of the Act.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan moved an amendment to delete the provision giving retrospective effect to the right to appeal in past cases, saying it was reserved for individuals. However, the Law Minister opposed it and the House rejected it.
Earlier, Law Minister Azam Nazir took strong exception to the President’s comments before introducing the bill, which he made while returning the bill to a joint session of Parliament. The minister said that the bill was passed by the National Assembly and the Senate and it was not appropriate for the President to call the passage of the bill a colorful legislative exercise.
Azam Nazir Tarar said that while fulfilling his responsibility, the President adopts a biased attitude and starts facilitating the interests of his party. He further said that the Parliament has full authority to make laws and rules related to the functioning of the Supreme Court. He said that instead of reducing the powers of the Supreme Court, openness and transparency have been increased in its scope.
He said that the Supreme Court Rules were made in 1980 during the tenure of a dictator which said that the Parliament was empowered to change the rules of the Supreme Court.
Former Law Minister Farooq H. Naik said that Parliament has the power to enact such legislation. He said that it is the demand of the lawyers’ community that a party shall have the right to appoint a lawyer of his choice to file a revision appeal.
