Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The bill regarding payment of pay and allowances to the members of Election Commission of Pakistan has became a headache for the government as the matter of payment of salaries and perks to four members of the ECP has intensified. After the passage of the bill by the National Assembly, the Senate has rejected it.

After the rejection of the bill from the Senate the government is mulling to convene a joint session of the parliament to get the bill passed as it has no other option left. On one side the Standing Committee of National Assembly on Parliamentary Affairs has recommended to approve the bill but on the other side the Senate’s Standing Committee on Finance has raised objections by saying that the performance of the members in question was nil and recommended to take back Rs 420 million paid to them during last the five years on account of pays and allowances from the retired members of the ECP. The upper house of the parliament has also rejected the bill. The Additional Secretary of the ECP, Fida Muhammad, told the committee that as per constitution, the pays and allowances once paid cannot be taken back from the retired persons without reinstating them to the previous posts.

He told the committee a bill regarding the payment of pays and allowances to the ECP members was prepared in 2001 that was also approved by the law ministry, but it could not be tabled in the parliament due to certain factors. After that the members of ECP were paid on provision basis.

“After the elections were held and a new government was formed the bill was again forwarded to the Cabinet Division for consent so that it may be presented in the parliament”, he added

He clarified that at the meeting, without the approval of the said bill, the ECP could not be welcomed along with its new members.

The sources said that the Supreme Court had given the deadline of 27th July to the government to appoint the new members of the Election Commission and the compliance the court orders seemed to be very difficult as the opposition had rejected the names presented by the government and another deadlock had been created between the the opposition and the government Due to the non-appointment of the members, the ECP has become dormant and elections in the five constituencies of the National and Provincial Assemblies and the process of local bodies polls in Sindh and Punjab could not be completed.