The National Assembly and Senate’s standing committees on finance rejected the money bill proposed by the government to allocate funds for the general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Ministry of Finance excused itself from providing assistance, citing scarce funds and strict International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions. Minister of State for Finance Aisha Ghaus Pasha stated that Pakistan was facing a shortage of funds and a significant deficit, and did not have any additional funds available apart from the allocated budget. The provision of funds outside the budget would violate IMF conditions. The government tabled a bill regarding election expenditures in both houses of parliament as it informed the legislature about the repercussions of holding the election in Punjab earlier. The Supreme Court had directed the government to release and provide the Election Commission of Pakistan with funds worth Rs21 billion by April 10, 2023. The government proposed the bill hours before the deadline, which was rejected by the standing committees of both houses of parliament. The standing committees suggested that the Pakistan Democratic Movement would fight until the end to stop holding provincial assembly elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Senator Mohsin Aziz voted against the bill, stating that it was unconstitutional, and the country could not afford to have elections in Punjab alone, given the deepening economic crisis. The Chairman of the NA standing committee, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh of the PML-N, was reluctant to consider the bill due to the continued absence of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar from the committee proceedings. He at one point threatened to resign in protest against Dar’s continued absence from the committee. Members of the ruling alliance were contacted by the Prime Minister’s Office and their parties to attend early morning meetings and vote against the bill. The meetings of the standing committees were suddenly convened a day earlier.
