Despite the clear order of the Supreme Court, conducting general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, seems difficult as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is facing financial constraints and demanding funds from the federal government.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has urgently demanded a budget of Rs 15 billion to ensure the smooth conduct of the upcoming general elections in the two provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.
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In a crucial meeting held on Thursday at the election commission, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, the electoral watchdog said that a sum of Rs 20 billion was required for the elections. Out of which only Rs 5 billion has been provided to the commission so far, leaving a shortfall of Rs15 billion.
The commission has appealed to the government to provide the necessary funds as soon as possible so that preparations for the elections could continue without any further delays.
The finance secretary and home secretary were called into the meeting to ensure the provision of funds and security for the said elections.
The finance secretary had been informed by the election commission that a whopping Rs 65 billion would be required to hold the upcoming general election across the entire country.
In the briefing to the election commission, the finance secretary highlighted the challenging economic situation in the country and expressed difficulties in providing the necessary funds for upcoming elections.
The briefing shed light on the current state of the economy, including issues such as inflation, rising debt, and declining revenue streams.
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The ECP secretary said that additional personnel would be required in both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces to ensure the safety and security of the polling process.
The ECP secretary informed the commission that apart from the police in both provinces, 297,000 more personnel would be required in Punjab and 56,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
