F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Monday ruled out any “crisis on meeting the financial needs of the ECP” in order to hold free, fair and transparent general elections in the country.
“The Cabinet had approved Rs 42 billion for the budgetary needs of the ECP. An amount of Rs 10 billion was already released,” the minister wrote on X formerly Twitter. He said the Election Commission of Pakistan had approached to release Rs 17.4 billion, out of the budgeted amount.
“Whatever budgeted amount is needed by the ECP, will be released as per its needs accordingly,” Solangi added. He said the caretaker government firmly stood behind the ECP in holding free and fair elections as mandated by Article 218(3) of the Constitution.
INP adds: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday took notice and summoned the Secretary of Finance for non-provision of allocated funds reserved for the general elections 2024, sources said on Monday.
Sources close to the development revealed that a total of Rs 42 billion was reserved for the preparation of the general election 2024 in the financial year budget, while the Ministry of Finance has only released Rs 10 billion so far. Sources within the ECP state that the remaining funds for the election are being interrupted without any prior justification from the ministry, as the electoral watchdog is currently in need of Rs 17 billion immediately.
The ECP sources claimed to pen down a reminder and approached the Ministry of Finance repeatedly for the provision of election funds, but failed to get any positive response. Sources claimed that the ECP chief has decided to inform the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and will write a detailed letter regarding the non-provision of funds.
