PAKISTAN: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claims that Pakistan’s finance ministry has no funds to conduct elections, according to ARY News. According to media outlets such as the South Asia Press, this is the most difficult situation faced by the country in the last two decades.
In a joint press conference addressing the international media, alongside Information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khawaja Asif revealed his opinions on PTI chief Imran Khan and discussed the state of the nation’s economy. Furthermore, Asif dismissed Khan’s allegations and rumoured assassination attempt. He elaborated on the alleged attempt, mentioning that Khan extended the tenure of retired army chief General Qamar Javaid Bajwa, only to turn the tables on him. Khan allegedly blamed the United States for his ouster as well, Asif said.
Pakistan is still waiting for a 1.1 billion dollar funding deposit from a Washington-based global money lender, which itself was intended to be allotted in November of last year. The country is in the clutches of significant economic turmoil with heavy external debt, a weak local currency, and rapidly declining foreign exchange reserves. “I am aware of the fact that the ministry of finance has said that under the present circumstances, we are going through some very tough times, so we won't be able to provide funds for these elections, which if you hold now on 30th of April and then in October, so you are providing funds for elections twice in a year” Asif states
Asif further added that due to present circumstances, the finance ministry will be unable to provide funds for the upcoming elections. If held on the 30th of April, then funding will be required for elections twice in the same year.
In addition to the financial difficulties faced by the government to fund elections, lack of adequate security arrangements designated to be at the polling stations are posing a big challenge. Asif says, “The commitment that our army has at the moment for the internal and external threats, they've said that it takes almost a month for the deployment of forces to the polling stations, especially the static duty they have to take over the polling stations".
ARY news reports that Imran Khan has “demanded judges to take notice of the constitutional violations taking place due to the postponement of general elections.” The future of democratic elections in Pakistan this year remains unclear as the government struggles between the economic crisis and the political turmoil caused by Khan.
Edited by: Alanna Fullerton
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