Pakistan: Cabinet to take up issue of election funds matter in Parliament

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 10 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a cabinet meeting on the weekly holiday (Sunday) to discuss election funds and has decided to take up the issue in the Parliament, reported The Express Tribune.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will be holding the polls in politically crucial Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces on May 14 as directed by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court last week directed the federal government to provide Rs 21 billion in funds by April 10 to the ECP, directing the electoral body to present a report on the issue by April 11, reported The Express Tribune.
The verdict also said that the Supreme Court will issue instructions to the authorities concerned in case the funds are not provided.
Despite the court's order, sources told The Express Tribune that the federal cabinet instead opted for debating the matter in Parliament before approving and issuing funds for the provincial elections.
The cabinet also deliberated on tabling the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 - which aims to curtail the powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice and constitute benches on his own - in the joint session of Parliament for approval as President Dr Arif Alvi has returned it for reconsideration without signing it.
The president had returned the bill for reconsideration to parliament as per the provisions of the Article 75 of the Constitution, stating that the bill prima-facie travels beyond the competence of parliament and can be assailed as colourable legislation, reported Geo News.
If the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, is approved by the joint session of the parliament with the majority, it will be presented to the president again for his assent. If the president does not give his nod to it within 10 days, the approval is deemed to have been given.
The legislation process says, "If the President refers back a bill to Parliament it is considered in a joint session and if passed by the majority is deemed to have been passed by both Houses. Sent again to President to shall give assent in 10 days failing which assent shall be deemed to have been given."
According to the sources, the federal cabinet meeting also approved the decisions taken during the National Security Council (NSC) meeting that took place on Friday, reported Geo News.
The high-level huddle had decided to launch a comprehensive operation against terrorists, as the country's civil and military leadership virtually issued a charge sheet against the previous government and the establishment for allowing the banned TTP to regroup.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has claimed that the PDM coalition government called the NSC meeting in an attempt to use national security as a pretext for the postponement of elections, reported The Express Tribune.
He said that the government brought in an "unconstitutional bill" on the apex court, and a National Assembly resolution against the judiciary.
Earlier, the National Assembly had passed a resolution declaring that parliament rejected the SC verdict regarding the election in Punjab.
The lawmakers, in the resolution, had also barred the prime minister and the federal cabinet from implementing the decision while urging the top court to form a full court to review the "rewriting" of the Constitution under Article 63-A.