Election campaign funds: Notices issued to government, Election Commission and NAB

Petitioner alleges PPP is using public money to fund its campaign


Our Correspondent December 14, 2016
PHOTO: EXPRESS

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Wednesday notices to the provincial government, Election Commission and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) authorities on a petition seeking inquiry into alleged utilisation of culture department funds in Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s election campaign.

Headed by SHC Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, the two-judge bench also directed the respondents to file their comments by January 1, 2017.

Muhammad Yaqoob Lakhair, a practicing lawyer, had moved the court against the provincial government for using public funds on the PPP chairperson’s election campaign in the media. He named the provincial chief secretary, provincial culture minister, NAB chairperson, NAB, Sindh director-general and Election Commission chief as respondents.

The petitioner said the Sindh government is using public money to fund Bilawal’s election campaign. The culture department is giving advertisements that contain pictures of the PPP chief.

Lakhair claimed that the funds meant for schemes related to promotion of culture and heritage have been spent on the PPP’s electoral campaign. He added that such funds were released during the tenures of two former ministers - Sassui Palijo and Sharmila Faruqi - as well as the incumbent minister, Sardar Ali Shah.

The petitioner disclosed that the funds allocated for 122 different projects meant for preservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings and other works, which were scheduled to be completed in the future, had been fully released immediately.

“The advertisements visibly contain pictures of Bilawal along with the culture minister,” said Lakhair, adding that provincial chief secretary himself was leading the election campaign with the public money, which was a clear violation of the provisions of the Constitution, as well as the election laws.

The petitioner said he had filed applications with the relevant department asking them to share information about the utilisation of the funds under Article 19-A, which binds the authorities to give the citizens such information under the Right to Information Act, 2013. He added that an application had also been filed with NAB, requesting them to initiate an inquiry into the utilisation of the culture department’s funds, but to no avail.

Therefore, he pleaded to the court to call reports from all relevant departments regarding disbursement of public money and expenditures.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2016.

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