On April 14th, 2023, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to release funds worth Rs21 billion for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In an earlier verdict on April 4th, a three-member bench had directed the government to provide the required funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct the elections by April 10th. The government failed to comply with the order and referred the matter to Parliament, which defied the SC order and refused to issue the funds. Following this, the SC issued notices to the finance secretary, SBP governor, Attorney General for Pakistan, and the ECP, directing them to appear before the judges’ chamber on April 14th. In an in-chamber hearing, the AGP, SBP Deputy Governor, finance secretaries, and ECP officials briefed the SC on the government’s failure to disburse the funds. The SBP acting governor presented a statement of the funds and monies of the federal government under the bank's control and management. The judges observed that the funds were not designated for any particular usage and that the necessary transaction for the transfer of funds to the ECP could be done by the close of business on April 17th. The court observed that the amount needed for elections was insignificant compared to the financial obligations of the federal government. The SC ordered the SBP to send an appropriate communication to the finance ministry by April 17th and stated that the funds were "immediately releasable and utilisable for the purposes of holding the general elections to the Punjab and KP assemblies.
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