Last Friday (14), the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the country’s central bank to release funds for the holding of the provincial council emergency elections.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan gave this decision a day after the country’s parliament decided not to give money for the election.
Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Friday summoned officials of the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to his chamber and demanded an answer on the funds, warning of consequences if they did not comply.
Parliament had ruled on Thursday that it could not spare 21 billion rupees ($74.79 million) in funds for the court-ordered snap polls.
Reuters reported that the Chief Justice ordered the Acting Governor of the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance to coordinate and “promptly allocate and release” the money from the Federal Consolidated Fund before April 17.
