Pakistan Election Commission excuses itself from sharing information with senate body on poll expenditure

The Senate body's session held under the chair of Senator Mohammad Humayun Mohmand on Tuesday sought details regarding the salaries of the electoral watchdog members and employees, as well as their travel expenses and the expenditures for the February 8 nationwide polls.

However, ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan sent a letter to Pakistan's Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. In the letter, Khan stated that the upper house's standing committee was exceeding its jurisdiction by questioning the expenditures of ECP "which is 'charged' against Federal Consolidated Fund".

In a letter, the ECP secretary stated, "ECP is not obliged to provide the requisite information," adding that it is an "independent constitutional body" and not like other ministries, divisions, and its associated public bodies, Geo News reported.

Khan said that electoral watchdog was neither representing the federal government nor any provincial government and therefore it does not come under the purview of the Senate body on parliamentary affairs.

The letter read, "Accordingly, the budget allocated to the Election Commission is not voted in the National Assembly for inclusion in the Annual Budget Statement as provided in Article 82(1) ibid."

The ECP also expressed willingness to assist the parliamentary body on legislative business related to the election laws and constitutional provisions, as per its defined role.

In response to the letter, the committee chairman Senator Mohammad Humayun Mohmand said the ECP was stating that it was not answerable to parliament that "established it", according to Geo News report.

Mohmand further said that the Senate body, as per the rules, has powers to summon any person including the chief election commissioner (CEC) and ECP officials apart from reviewing documents and records.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Mohsin Aziz urged Senate body to reject the letter written by the electoral watchdog and reminded that the commission's representatives had appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the past, Geo News reported.

In response, parliamentary affairs secretary stated that Pakistan's Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs was only authorised to see legislative affairs of the electoral watchdog and advised that guidance regarding the matter should be sought from the senate chairman.

In November 2022, the commission had approved more than Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 47 billion for organising elections. However, the cost of holding elections in phases increased from PKR 47.417 billion to PKR 61.805 billion, with an additional amount of PKR 14.388 billion sought by the commission from the Finance Ministry in January last year, Geo News reported, citing The News International report.

Elections were held in Pakistan on February 8, amid allegations of rigging and the shutdown of cellular and internet services. The voting process began at 8 am and continued till 5 pm. (ANI)