"Supreme Court Orders Negotiations and Funding for Elections in Pakistan"

The Supreme Court of Pakistan recently considered a petition requesting for the national and provincial assemblies to hold general elections simultaneously. The court ordered the federal coalition and PTI to negotiate an agreement on the elections before 4pm on the same day. However, the proceedings did not resume as the three-judge bench did not appear in the courtroom. The coalition parties informed the court that they had planned to hold a dialogue with the opposition after Eid, but Justice Bandial instructed them to hold the talks immediately.

Representatives of the PPP and the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan met with CJP Bandial in his chambers. Farooq H. Naek, who represented the PPP, told reporters that the CJP had been informed that the dialogue had been initiated with the PTI. The court adjourned until April 27, but a written order has not yet been issued. Meanwhile, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman rejected the idea of talks with PTI chairman Imran Khan.

In another order, the Supreme Court directed the government to provide funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, the government refused to comply with the order, and the ECP, defence ministry, and finance ministry submitted their reports to the court in a sealed envelope. The court ordered the SBP to release funds worth Rs21bn for elections from Account No I, a component of the Federal Consolidated Fund worth Rs1.39 trillion, and send an “appropriate communication” to this effect to the finance ministry by April 17. The coalition government rejected its own demand for the provision of Rs21bn as a supplementary grant to the ECP for holding polls in the two provinces.

Insights of Article

1. The Supreme Court of Pakistan is involved in decisions related to national and provincial elections.

2. The court ordered the federal coalition and PTI to negotiate an agreement on the elections before a specific deadline, but the proceedings did not resume as expected.

3. The PPP and AGP met with CJP Bandial to inform him about the dialogue they initiated with PTI.

4. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman rejected the idea of talks with PTI chairman Imran Khan.

5. The Supreme Court directed the government to provide funds for the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the government refused to comply with the order.

6. The SBP was ordered to release funds for elections from the Federal Consolidated Fund worth Rs1.39 trillion.