Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has called on the Supreme Court to initiate contempt proceedings against the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and his cabinet for not providing funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa polls. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has failed to release the ordered Rs21 billion, which violates the law despite the Supreme Court’s orders. Acting Governor of SBP, Sima Kamil, stated that the bank has allocated funds, but it lacked the authority to release them. The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue has sent a summary to the federal cabinet for not providing funds to the ECP for polls. The top court ordered to hold the elections on May 14, but the government rejected the decision. In response, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah stated that the polls would not be held on the date. The PTI had dissolved both assemblies in January to force the government to hold elections across the board, but the Shehbaz Sharif-led administration refused to do so. PTI’s senior leader, Fawad Chaudhry, said in line with the Constitution, the parliament does not have any prerogative over the election expenses. The party is focused on negotiations with the government, but the rulers were exhibiting a “non-serious” attitude in this regard. The PTI has formed a three-member committee to hold consultations with the opposition party amid the tense political situation after the Jamaat-e-Islami’s bid to bring both sides to the table. PTI leader Ali Nawaz Awan has filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking contempt proceedings against the ECP over its failure to hold local government elections in the city on Saturday. The verdict, pronounced by IHC Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, instructed the ECP to hold Islamabad local government elections, which was quashed by the electoral body’s notification regarding the postponement of the polls. The ECP official had said it was “practically impossible” to hold an electoral exercise, even within Islamabad alone, on such short notice. The federal government had decided to file an intra-court appeal against the verdict. Party chairman Imran Khan accused the ECP of being a “B team of the imported government and its backers”. Shireen Mazari said the ECP should resign after “playing politics with holding elections.”
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded that the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and his cabinet be held in contempt by the Supreme Court for failing to provide funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa polls. Despite the Supreme Court’s orders, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has failed to release the Rs21 billion requested, which is in violation of the law. The government rejected the top court’s decision to hold elections on May 14, and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah stated that the polls would not be held on the date. The PTI has dissolved both assemblies to pressure the government into holding elections across the board, but the Shehbaz Sharif-led administration has refused to do so. PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry stated that parliament does not have any prerogative over election expenses, and the party is focused on negotiations with the government, but the rulers are not taking the matter seriously. The PTI formed a three-member committee to hold consultations with the opposition party after Jamaat-e-Islami’s bid to bring both sides to the table. PTI leader Ali Nawaz Awan filed a petition seeking contempt proceedings against the ECP over its failure to hold local government elections
