ISLAMABAD: The provinces and the federal government would share election expenses, Finance Minister Saleem H. Mandviwalla said.

Talking to reporters in his office, he said the four provincial governments had agreed to make contributions according to their shares in the seventh National Finance Commission Award. He said the federal and provincial governments were required to pool in Rs 6 billion to be incurred in the coming elections.

The decision was made at the recent first bi-annual meeting of the NFC Award implementation committee.

The caretaker government would have the mandate to manage the finances during the transition period only, he said. If any major decision was required for the economy, it would need to be taken in consultation with political parties contesting elections.

“Without consultations with the parties, no decision would be taken by caretaker government,” the minister emphasised.

He dispelled the impression that huge releases of funds were being made for political gains and insisted that the releases were in accordance with the rules and procedures.

“No unlawful expenditure has been incurred during my 24- day tenure as finance minister,” Mr Mandviwalla said. Funds had been released on account of development schemes not only for parliamentarians belonging to ruling parties but also those from apposition, he said.

The funds had not been released directly to MNAs or Senators but to government departments/organisations for completion of schemes, he said. Organisations like power and gas companies would surrender the funds if they remained unutilised by the end of the fiscal, he added.

The minister said the ban imposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan on re-adjustment of funds was casting a negative impact, particularly on long term projects like Neelum Jhelum hydro power project because funds were accorded to the projects on the basis of progress in work on them.

Accepting the point of view of the finance ministry, he said, the ECP had allowed diversion of funds for already approved projects.  He said it was right of any government to make appropriation or adjustments of funds according to progress of projects.

The ECP had allowed appropriation for the projects approved by the DDWP, the CDWP and the ECNEC, he added.