The court order is in place but funds cannot be released for the election, Ishaq Darka's clear denial

 

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Upholds Constitution, Declares Inability to Violate It by Issuing Election Funds on SC Orders for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

During a session at the National Assembly (NA), Finance Minister Ishaq Dar strongly criticized Imran Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), for dissolving the assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), alleging that it was a deliberate attempt to sow "anarchy" in the country.

Dar attributed the recent turmoil to the Supreme Court's redefinition of Article 63-A of the Constitution, which led to the PTI taking over the Punjab government. He criticised the apex court for interfering in the domain of politicians, stating that if Article 63-A had not been redefined, the assemblies would not have been dissolved.

The finance minister pointed out that the government, in accordance with the law, presented the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) request for funds to the cabinet and the parliament, both of which rejected the proposal. He mentioned that even the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is unable to release the funds, and questioned the repercussions if the elections are held after a delay of three to four months.

Dar emphasised that the government was being asked to do something "illegal", and he would never advise the cabinet to violate the Constitution, even on court orders. He stated that the law dictates simultaneous elections, and going against the Constitution is not an option.

He also criticised the previous PTI-led government for pushing the country to the "brink of collapse", referring to the Panama and Dawn leaks controversies during the past five years. Dar argued that the country would not have been in crisis if his advice had been heeded.

On April 4, the Supreme Court declared the ECP's decision to postpone elections in Punjab till October 8 as "unconstitutional" and set May 14 as the new date. However, the National Assembly later passed a resolution rejecting the verdict of the three-member Supreme Court bench and stating that funds would not be provided to the ECP for the polls.