Following concerns raised by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal on Monday assured the electoral watchdog that funds for upcoming general elections will be released in a day or two.
Bosal was summoned by the electoral body after the Finance Ministry was irresponsive regarding the provision of funds, allocated for the polls, in the budget.
The development came as Pakistan is preparing for general polls scheduled to take place on February 8, 2024. The secretary said that the Finance Ministry will release the required funds by the Election Commission. The ministry said that the letter written by the electoral body on November 14 was received on November 18.
“Disbursement of funds requires approval at various levels,” the secretary added. The secretary was speaking to the media after holding a meeting with the ECP.
The government, as per the sources, had allocated Rs42 billion for the general elections in the current financial year’s budget. The Finance Ministry, however, only provided Rs10 billion to the ECP so far, they added.
