The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) may not receive the required funds for conducting Punjab’s provincial elections by the April 10 deadline, as mandated by the Supreme Court’s recent verdict on the election delay case.
The ECP spokesperson confirmed that the funds have yet to be received. Furthermore, government sources indicate a low likelihood of receiving them by the deadline, as no Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) meeting has been scheduled.
On April 4, the Supreme Court ordered the Finance Ministry to release Rs21 billion to the ECP by April 10 to hold the Punjab elections, as requested by the election commission. The court also set the election date for May 14 and nullified the ECP’s decision to postpone the polls until October 28.
The ruling has intensified the ongoing political and constitutional crisis, with the government opposing the Supreme Court’s decision.
The ruling coalition has demanded the Chief Justice’s resignation and the formation of a full court to hear the case on election dates for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Additionally, the National Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the Supreme Court’s verdict and instructing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his cabinet not to implement the decision.
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