Ishaq Dar tables election expenditure bill in National Assembly

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Ishaq Dar on Monday tabled an election expenditure bill in the National Assembly, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Introducing the Federal Consolidated Fund (The Charged Sums for General Election – Provincial Assemblies of the Punjab and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Bill, 2023, 

Ishaq Dar said holding elections in the country is a constitutional duty.

The minister held PTI responsible for the fragile economic situation, saying the PTI is not a well-wisher of the country.

The finance minister said that the conspiratorial elements were hindering the development of the country, adding that the national development was two per cent during the era of Nawaz Sharif.

He stated that the conspiratorial elements stood in the way of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement, reiterating that the country was prosperous during the era of Nawaz Sharif.

He deplored that the unelected government of Imran Khan had been imposed in 2018, maintaining that the current government had inherited a ruined economy.

He also said that the PTI government had gone against the IMF agreement, adding that the country would have gone bankrupt if the PDM government had not taken hard decisions.

“After stabilisation of the economy, the country is again on the path to development. The PTI is solely responsible for the bad economy. Its leadership is spreading chaos and despair in the nation,” he lambasted.

The finance minister also claimed that the government had been taking vigorous steps to provide relief to the people, adding that it had been providing Rs23 billion subsidy to the people.

He pointed out that the selected government had been removed in a constitutional way a year ago. “The economy of Pakistan had become stronger between 2013 and 2018. The previous government destroyed the economy of the country,” he said.

“The conspiratorial elements are an obstacle to the development of the country. These elements could not bankrupt the country, but they succeeded in creating a constitutional crisis,” he added.

“Some elements do not want an agreement with the IMF. The PTI did not follow the conditions set by the IMF. The country was close to default. We saved the state instead of our politics,” he reiterated.

“We will lead Pakistan to development again. Agreement with the IMF will be signed soon,” he vowed, adding that the growth rate was six per cent during the tenure of Nawaz Sharif.

“The conspiratorial elements are causing damage to the country for personal gains. Going against the IMF agreement has also damaged the reputation of the country,” he castigated.

“The timely measures of the current government reduced the current account deficit,” he claimed and added that conducting elections in the country was a constitutional obligation.

Cabinet's green signal

While approving the summary of the finance ministry, the federal cabinet Monday decided to send the issue of providing funds for elections in Punjab to the Parliament.

The meeting was held at the Parliament House, Islamabad under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar briefed the meeting. Yesterday, the meeting could not reach a decision regarding the provision of funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Now the Parliament will decide the approval of funds for the Punjab elections. The joint session of the Parliament will be held at 4pm today.

The prime minister had called the federal cabinet meeting at the Parliament House to take the final decision on the key issues.

The sources said the cabinet members had mulled over getting the judiciary reforms bill approved by the joint session of the Parliament.

The sources said that the cabinet had agreed to take up the matter of giving the funds to the ECP for Punjab and KP elections or not in the Parliament as it is a proper forum to discuss it.

The cabinet had unanimously directed the Finance Ministry to prepare a summary in consultation with the Law Ministry to seek guidance from the Parliament in this matter and present it in the cabinet meeting.

The sources said the meeting of the Federal Cabinet has been convened at the Parliament House at 10 o'clock on Monday morning.

The federal cabinet meeting continued for a long time but ended without making any decision on the key issues, the sources said.

Earlier, President Dr Arif Alvi had returned the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, aimed at curtailing the Chief Justice of Pakistan's powers for reconsideration to the Parliament.

The meeting in which most of the cabinet members are taking part via video link will also endorse the decision of the National Security Committee (NSC).

Federal Minister Riaz Pirzada, Housing Minister Maulana Abdul Wasey, State Minister for Energy Hashim Notezai, Sajid Toori and PM Advisor Amir Muqam are participating in the meeting from the PM House.

Federal ministers Ayaz Sadiq, Khawaja Saad Rafiq and others are taking part in the conclave from Model Town, Lahore.

Prime Minister Shehbaz is presiding over the huddle through a video link.

Sources said that the government’s legal team is also participating in the cabinet meeting.

In the meeting, consultation on legal issues will be held and a strategy regarding the Supreme Court decision will be deliberated upon.

There will also be a discussion on the return of the Judicial Reforms Bill and its approval by the joint session of the Parliament.

Important decisions regarding polls to Punjab Assembly are likely to be taken in the meeting.

The Supreme Court had ordered the ECP to conduct elections in Punjab on May 14 and also asked the government to provide Rs21 billion for the polls to the ECP by April 10.

During a presser, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that it didn’t seem that elections were going to be held within 90 days.

He said the crisis had been compounded by the April 4 Supreme Court order striking down the government’s plans to delay elections to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.

Reporter: Awais Kiyani