Connect with us

Politics

Election funds to be released within two days, assures finance secretary

Published

on

  • Ministry says funds disbursement requires multiple approvals.
  • ECP letter for funds provision was received by ministry on Nov 14.
  • Electoral body was allocated Rs42bn for conducting elections.

Following concerns raised by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal on Monday assured the electoral watchdog that funds for upcoming general elections will be released in a day or two.

Bosal was summoned by the electoral body after the Finance Ministry was irresponsive regarding the provision of funds, allocated for the polls, in the budget.

The development came as Pakistan is preparing for general polls scheduled to take place on February 8, 2024.

The secretary said that the Finance Ministry will release the required funds by the Election Commission. The ministry said that the letter written by the electoral body on November 14 was received on November 18.

“Disbursement of funds requires approval at various levels,” the secretary added.

The secretary was speaking to the media after holding a meeting with the ECP.  

The secretary had arrived at the ECP after sources had told Geo News that the ECP has taken notice of the non-provision of funds by the government.

The government, as per the sources, had allocated Rs42 billion for the general elections in the current financial year’s budget. The Finance Ministry, however, only provided Rs10 billion to the ECP so far, they added.

Disbursement of the remaining amount, according to the sources, is being delayed without any reasonable justification.

“Rs17 billion are urgently needed for holding the general elections on February 8.”

The sources told Geo News that the Finance Ministry was repeatedly approached for the provision of this amount, while a written reminder was also sent to the ministry for immediate provision of money.

However, no positive response has yet been given regarding the disbursement of money, they added.

Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has decided to inform the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar about the non-provision of funds by the finance ministry.

A detailed letter is also being written to the premier today, the sources said.

General elections 2024

Pakistan is now approaching elections with polls scheduled to be held on February 8 2024. All political parties have geared up for a face-off in the run-up to the elections, while the ECP has notified the final list of delimitation of constituencies of the national and four provincial assemblies.

The electoral watchdog is also expected to announce the election schedule, sometime this week. It had earlier stated that the final list of delimitations would be published on December 15 but it was later revised to November 30.

In its notification, the ECP said that according to Article 51(3) of the Constitution, the National Assembly consists of 266 general seats, with 60 seats reserved for women and additionally 10 for non-Muslims.

Latest News

Bushra Bibi maintains bail as the IHC concludes the FIA’s petition.

Published

on

By

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) conducted a hearing about the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea for the revocation of Bushra Bibi’s bail.

The court, led by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, rejected the FIA’s petition during the hearing.

Judicial Proceedings

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb sought information regarding Bushra Bibi’s location, to which her attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, affirmed her attendance in court.

The judge urged the counsel to regard the matters with gravity, underscoring the necessity of adherence to trial protocols.

The court sought details about instances where Bushra Bibi had been exempted from attending trial hearings and clarified that if the High Court grants bail and the accused fails to appear, the trial court holds the authority to cancel the bail.

Justice Aurangzeb assured that such actions would not amount to contempt of the High Court’s order.

Based on these considerations, the court closed the proceedings and dismissed the FIA’s plea.

Continue Reading

Latest News

The Supreme Court has granted the appeal of the PTI founder for a judicial probe into the events of May 9.

Published

on

By

The Supreme Court has officially accepted the plea submitted by the PTI chairman for a judicial probe into the events of May 9 for a comprehensive hearing.

The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court annulled the registrar’s office’s objections to the petition and instructed the office to allocate a case number and arrange the hearing.

The PTI chairman was represented by prominent attorney Hamid Khan, who appeared in court to argue for the petition’s admission.

The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) already convicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in connection with the incidents on May 9 and denied his bail on eight distinct counts.

The court’s finding was delivered in a six-page written order by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul.

The written ruling emphasized substantial evidence against the PTI founder, comprising audio and visual recordings of his directives to incite violence.

The court observed that witnesses had provided testimony on the conspiracy planned by Imran Khan at Zaman Park, where he purportedly strategized for his possible arrest by intending to disrupt state functions via his supporters.

Imran Khan’s legal counsel contended that he was in custody at the time of the incidents, proposing that bail be granted in accordance with precedents where bail was awarded in like circumstances following detention.

Nevertheless, the court rejected this argument, underscoring that the case’s nature was not a trifling issue of conspiracy or incitement.

The prosecution established that Mr. Khan had explicitly incited assaults on military and governmental facilities and had galvanized both his commanders and supporters to adhere to his directives.

The decision additionally cited the Lahore High Court’s finding regarding a prior release granted to Ijaz Chaudhry, highlighting Imran Khan’s involvement in the conspiracy. The court dismissed the defense’s challenge over the prosecution’s lack of specificity concerning the date, time, or location of the purported conspiracy, affirming that the scheme was allegedly devised on May 7 and May 9 at Zaman Park.

The prosecution asserts that undercover police officers, masquerading as PTI supporters, intercepted discussions outlining the scheme.

Continue Reading

Latest News

188 cases nationwide have been filed against the PTI founder.

Published

on

By

This increase, according to details, followed the submission of a report to the Islamabad High Court in response to a petition brought by Norin, the sister of the PTI founder.

Punjab has the most cases against Imran Khan (99), according to the Ministry of Interior’s report that breaks down the cases by area.

There are 76 cases in Islamabad, according to the Islamabad Police data, compared to two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In addition, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is investigating three instances, while the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is still investigating seven cases.

Cases against Imran Khan also concern the protests in October, November, and December. In addition, there is an ongoing appeal in the Toshakhana criminal case against his sentencing.

Yesterday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder along with 60 other PTI leaders were indicted in the GHQ attack case.

Imran Khan and sixty other party leaders were charged in the GHQ attack case by Judge Amjad Ali Shah of the anti-terrorism court.

Imran Khan, who is presently detained at Adiala Jail, was released on bail in the Toshakhana case but was arrested again by the police in the New Town PS case.

Continue Reading

Trending