F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance has sent the matter of the provision of Rs21 billion funds for the conduct of elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa back to the National Assembly for approval.
A meeting of the NA body on finance held in Islamabad on Monday.
Speakign after the meeting, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has maintained that the Supreme Court’s order will be implemented if the National Assembly approves provision of funds. “If the Assembly does not approve it then it would be a constitutional mandate and a decision will be taken under Article 184,” he added.
The law minister said that due to the seriousness of the matter the standing committee has ordered to again table the issue before the assembly.
The meeting deliberated on the provision of funds for holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as directed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to release Rs21 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and send an “appropriate communication” to this effect to the finance ministry by April 17 (today).
Minister of State for Finance Ayesha Ghaus, SBP Deputy Governor Seema Kamil, Deputy Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and auditor general of Pakistan participated in the meeting.
The law minister and AGP briefed the participants of the meeting.
Before the NA body meeting, a special consultative meeting was held under the chair of Law Minister Tarar in which SBP acting governor Seema Kamil, special secretary of finance, finance committee chairman Qaisar Sheikh, Trade Minister Naveed Qamar, State Minister for Finance Ayesha Ghaus, attorney general for Pakistan and auditor general and other officials participated.
The meeting pondered over the legal aspects in the wake of halting provision of funds to the ECP. It also deliberated on how to stop the State Bank from releasing funds.
Qamar insists on parliament’s prerogative to allocate funds
Commerce Minister and senior PPP leader Naveed Qamar said that the institutions are being threatened by the contempt of court.
In a very strongly-worded message, the commerce minister said: “Parliament can also start contempt proceedings. Parliament can also send people to jail on its contempt. I disagree with the federal law minister and attorney general for Pakistan. Only the National Assembly is authorized to give approval of budget.”
He expressed his exasperation saying that the Supreme Court is saying that it should be given the authority to allocate the budget.
“We cannot give this right of the National Assembly to any other institution,” he said adding “If the National Assembly did not defend its authority then who will do this? Will Army come and do this?”
