ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued a stay order and restrained the federal government from using development funds allocated for Shangla in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa elsewhere.
IHC Justice Riaz Ahmad issued the stay order after Shangla MNA and PML-N legislator Amir Muqam filed a writ petition through Advocate Athar Minallah challenging a federal government notification stopping the release of funds for ongoing projects in his constituency.
The petitioner alleged that Muqam is being targeted for his differences with the ruling government. The MNA had won his seat on a PML-Q ticket, but switched to his current party after PML-Q joined the coalition. “My client was pressurised with threats of suspension and revocation of development funds which were sanctioned and approved by the competent authority in case of all the members of national and provincial assemblies,” said the lawyer.
“On November 26, 2011, the PM Secretariat informed Muqam via mail that the approval for the schemes has been withdrawn,” he said, adding that on March 28, the development funds for Shangla district were frozen.
The court issued notices to the PM Secretariat additional secretary, the cabinet, planning and housing and secretaries, PWD director general, and PESCO CEO and directed them to submit their replies within two weeks.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2012.
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