Punjab elections: Intelligence agencies officials brief SC judges on security

ISLAMABAD: Top officials of the country’s intelligence agencies have reportedly met with Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and other two apex court judges who are hearing a case related to the elections in Punjab on May 14, ARY News reported on Tuesday citing sources.

According to sources, ISI and MI chiefs gave a briefing to the judges on the security issues confronting the country.

Sources further revealed that the meeting between the judges and the security officials continued for over two hours in the CJP’s chamber.

A three-judge bench – led by the chief justice and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan – on April 4 declared Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone the election for the Punjab Assembly as “unconstitutional” and ordered it to hold polls in the province on May 14.

The same bench on April 14 ordered the SBP to directly issue Rs21 billion for the election and submit its report on April 18.

The National Assembly yesterday disapproved a supplementary demand for a grant for elections in Punjab.

Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar moved the supplementary demand of Rs 21 billion in the House to meet the expenditures for elections in Punjab.

He said the Federal Cabinet had referred the matter to the National Assembly which had the authority to approve or disapprove additional expenses under Articles 82 (2) and 84 of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has convened a meeting of his coalition partners today [Tuesday] to discuss the current political situation.