• The Cabinet had approved Rs 42 billion for budgetary needs of ECP.
• Solangi said ECP approached to release Rs 17.4b out of budgeted amount.
• He said whatever budgeted amount is needed by ECP, will be released .

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi ruled out any “crisis on meeting the financial needs of the ECP” in order to hold free, fair and transparent general elections in the country.

“The Cabinet had approved Rs 42 billion for the budgetary needs of the ECP. An amount of Rs 10 billion was already released,” the minister wrote on X formerly Twitter.

He said the Election Commission of Pakistan had approached to release Rs 17.4 billion, out of the budgeted amount.

“Whatever budgeted amount is needed by the ECP, will be released as per its needs accordingly,” Solangi added. He said the caretaker government firmly stood behind the ECP in holding free and fair elections as mandated by Article 218(3) of the Constitution.

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Earlier, In response to concerns and grievances raised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has taken the decision to address the issues.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has extended an invitation to the MQM for a meeting and negotiations scheduled for tomorrow in Islamabad.

A delegation from the MQM is set to participate in the meeting, where they will discuss reservations regarding constituencies and the Provincial Election Commission in Sindh.