Daily Times

The federal cabinet on Sunday directed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar to prepare a summary seeking guidance from parliament to release funds for the Punjab elections.

The Supreme Court last week directed the federal government to provide Rs21 billion in funds by April 10 to the ECP, directing the electoral body to present a report on the issue by April 11. The verdict also said that the Supreme Court will issue instructions to the authorities concerned in case the funds are not provided.

The handout added that the law minister briefed the participants of the meeting on various constitutional and legal affairs apart from answering their questions. It highlighted that the directions given to the finance and law ministers were deliberated upon during the meeting thoroughly. 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.

In this regard, the prime minister has summoned another federal cabinet meeting today (Monday) at 10am at the Parliament House in Islamabad. Moreover, the federal cabinet also approved the decisions taken by the National Security Committee (NSC) in its meeting on Friday. The meeting 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. The federal cabinet meeting took place as the coalition government faces off with the judiciary following the Supreme Court’s ruling that directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold elections in Punjab on May 14.