WORLD NEWS | Pakistan cabinet meets today to decide elections in Punjab province

ISLAMABAD, April 9 (PTI) The Union Cabinet held an “urgent” meeting on Sunday to decide whether funds should be released to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the May 14 poll in Punjab, or the voting papers should be made public. The media reported that this was a defiance of the Supreme Court order.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the meeting would be held in Lahore and Prime Minister Sheikh Baz Sharif would chair the meeting, Dawn reported.

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“This is an important meeting on current issues. However, its agenda has not been circulated,” she said, adding that “significant decisions” could be made at the meeting.

Most cabinet members will participate in the deliberations via video link.

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The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has parted ways with Sharif’s demand that Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial step down. However, the party may at the last minute review its position on whether to support its senior coalition partner’s decision to reject the Supreme Court’s order on the Punjab polls, sources said.

Disbursement of funds for Punjab elections, President Dr Arif Alvi’s decision to roll back the Supreme Court bill, and Judge Atal Minara’s decision in the election, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) insiders told Dawn. The judicial note – whose position is heavily supported by the Pakistan Muslim League-N – will be discussed during the meeting.

He said it was no secret that the Sharifs had every intention of opposing the decision of the CJP-led three-member seat to hold elections in the province on May 14.

“Whether it was Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz… all rejected the three-judge ruling with one voice and Parliament also supported the position of PML-N,” he said, adding that the party also agreed on this. At Sunday’s meeting, the prime minister and cabinet will announce that there is no funding for the May 14 election, he said.

“Let’s see what the SC does on Monday … we don’t care,” he said, adding that the PML-N is desperately looking for a narrative that this defiance will help it build a system that can go into the polls. statement.

“The meeting may also discuss further legislation in Parliament to limit the powers of the Supreme Court,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Union Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also gave no hint that the government would release funds to the ECP for polls in Punjab.

“The Supreme Court has ordered the federal government to allocate Rs 2,100 crore for the elections in Punjab by April 10. Of course, the finance ministry and the cabinet have a big responsibility in this and I am a part of it,” he said, without elaborating on his decision. How much money the department will release by April 10.

Dawn newspaper showed Mariam Nawaz declaring the party was ready to be disqualified.

“SC disqualified Nawaz Sharif and if it decides to serve contempt notice to Prime Minister Shehbaz, we don’t care because we rejected the three-judge decision of the Punjab polls, effectively 4/3,” she said.

The rift between the government and the top judiciary is proof that Pakistan’s political and economic woes will not end anytime soon and instability will continue to plague the country.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)