Top court orders State Bank of Pakistan to release funds for Punjab, KP polls

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 15 : Pakistan Supreme Court on Friday ordered the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to direct funds for holding elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, Geo News reported.

The top court has ordered the SBP to allocate and release PKR 21 billion from the funds held with it to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the polls immediately.

According to the Supreme Court, sums can be distributed "immediately and within a day" based on officials' submissions.

Election Commission must obtain PKR 21 billion before the close of business on April 17, according to a court order. On April 18, State Bank's Finance Division is required to submit compliance reports, according to Geo News.

The order was released by a three-member bench of the Supreme Court on Friday which was headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar.

On Thursday, according to Geo News, they conducted an in-chamber hearing about the failure of the federal government to comply with its order to transfer the cash from April 4.

According to sources who spoke to Geo News, the judges complained about the court orders not being followed during the hearing and warned the government that they would have to be followed.

Mansoor Usman Awan, Pakistan's attorney general, was questioned hard about the government's position throughout the session, according to those with access to the proceedings, Geo News reported.

Later in the day, the bench noted in a written decision that the central bank and Finance Division officials' submissions indicated that the PKR 21 billion needed by the ECP could be distributed "immediately and within a day."

The apex court had ordered elections in Punjab on May 14 and declared the ECP's March 22 decision to delay polls till October 28 as null and void.

The decision was announced by a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Geo News reported.

The verdict was supposed to be a way out of the ongoing political and constitutional crisis but further deepened it as the government rejected the Supreme Court decision.

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