LAHORE
\nPakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan on Saturday said if Prime MInister Shehbaz Sharif did not allow election in Punjab on May 14, he would stand disqualified.
\nAddressing a round table conference of lawyers and jurists, he said election in Punjab would be held on May 14 at every cost adding that anyone violating the Supreme Court of Pakistan\u2019s order, directing the elections in Punjab on May 14, would be disqualified.
\nHe went on to say that the country was witnessing a historic conflict between the parliament and the judiciary adding that political parties were at daggers drawn to each other right now. \u201cWe need to think whether the constitution reigns supreme or not,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cThe constitution binds elections within 90 days [of the dissolution of assemblies],\u201d he said. He added that our country was reeling under debt.
\nMr Ahsan said that the verdict issued by the apex court was final adding that PM Shehbaz and his brother Nawaz Sharif said they rejected the bench hearing elections\u2019 case.
\n\u201cI have been saying since day one that the court\u2019s order needs to be followed,\u201d he added.
\nEalier, after the National Assembly\u2019s standing committee rejected the bill seeking release of Rs21 billion in funds for elections, a three-member SC bench directed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to immediately release Rs21 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for elections in Punjab.
\nFinance Minister Ishaq Dar tabled the bill, seeking release of election funds, in the assembly as SC had ordered the federal government to release funds for elections until April 10 alongside ordering the ECP to hold elections in Punjab on May 14. The court subsequently ordered the electoral watchdog to present a report on the provision of funds on April 11.
\nThe ECP, on April 11, apprised the SC in a report that the government had not provided funds to the commission for holding elections in Punjab.
\nAccording to the Election Commission, the government had not yet provided Rs21 billion despite SC\u2019s order and the Punjab caretaker government had agreed to provide only 75000 personnel for security.
\n\u201cThere is a shortage of three lakh security personnel for the elections in Punjab,\u201d the ECP noted.
\nUpon this, the court issued notices to top officials including Attorney General Manssor Awan, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad, Secretary of the Finance department, and Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over failing to provide funds for upcoming Punjab elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LAHORE Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan on Saturday said if Prime MInister Shehbaz Sharif did not allow election in Punjab on May 14, he would stand disqualified. Addressing a round table conference of lawyers and jurists, he said election in Punjab would be held on May 14 at every cost adding that anyone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":240420,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3309],"class_list":{"0":"post-326105","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national","8":"tag-aitzaz-ahsan"},"yoast_head":"\n