Court issues notice to provincial govt, NAB in plea against govt ads
Petitioners argue against use of pictures of PPP leaders in government-sponsored content
Sindh High Court. PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Friday notices to the provincial government and national accountability authorities on a petition against the use of pictures of living and deceased Pakistan Peoples Party leaders in government advertisements.
A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, also directed the provincial advocate-general and others to file comments of the authorities concerned by July 6.
The petition was jointly filed by Nazim Haji and Syed Mureed Ali Shah, who said that the provincial government, in order to sponsor and illegally benefit the ruling party, had been displaying pictures of its leaders in government advertisements published in newspapers.
They had named the provincial chief secretary, provincial information department secretary, National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) director-general and others as respondents.
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The sole motive of the advertisements is to promote the political party's leaders in the eyes of the general public for political, electoral and monetary gain, the petitioners said.
They argued that this kind of advertising, carried out with the public's money to advance the political and personal image of the political party's leaders was discriminatory to other political parties and the citizens of Pakistan, who had been directly and adversely affected from the commission of such offences.
The objective behind highlighting such issues is not only to advance a sense of vigilance among the people of the country against unlawful activities, but also to assist statutory organisations and corruption watchdogs such as NAB so that the public's looted money can be recovered in the interest of Pakistan, the petitioners said.
However, they alleged the information department was unceasingly publishing, using national money, advertisements in various newspapers showing pictures of unofficial persons, despite the fact that public funds cannot be used for the personal promotion or political advantage of a party.
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The petitioners also cited NAB's reference filed against former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and others for misusing public funds in the name of the government's awareness campaign advertisements.
In the guise of communicating with the people, in many instances, undue political advantage and mileage is sought to be achieved by glorifying individuals and crediting them as being solely responsible for various government achievements and progressive plans, they argued.
The petitioners stated that such practices have become rampant as the country advances towards the next general election. It was argued that such advertisements not only result in gross wastage of public funds, but also constitutes misuse of government powers and derogates the fundamental rights of a large section of the population as guaranteed under the Constitution.
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Therefore, the court was pleaded to restrain the information department and its officers from misusing and wasting public funds on government advertisements with the intention to project the provincial ruling political party's living and deceased leaders.
It was also requested to declare the government advertisement showing the photographs illegal and ultra vires under Articles 4, 25 and 218 (3) of the Constitution.
The petitioner also urged the constitution of a judicial commission and direction to NAB to probe into the allocation, distribution and utilisation of funds worth billions of rupees for the government advertisements published in print and electronic media from 2013 to date, and recover public funds used in such advertisements.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Friday notices to the provincial government and national accountability authorities on a petition against the use of pictures of living and deceased Pakistan Peoples Party leaders in government advertisements.
A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, also directed the provincial advocate-general and others to file comments of the authorities concerned by July 6.
The petition was jointly filed by Nazim Haji and Syed Mureed Ali Shah, who said that the provincial government, in order to sponsor and illegally benefit the ruling party, had been displaying pictures of its leaders in government advertisements published in newspapers.
They had named the provincial chief secretary, provincial information department secretary, National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) director-general and others as respondents.
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The sole motive of the advertisements is to promote the political party's leaders in the eyes of the general public for political, electoral and monetary gain, the petitioners said.
They argued that this kind of advertising, carried out with the public's money to advance the political and personal image of the political party's leaders was discriminatory to other political parties and the citizens of Pakistan, who had been directly and adversely affected from the commission of such offences.
The objective behind highlighting such issues is not only to advance a sense of vigilance among the people of the country against unlawful activities, but also to assist statutory organisations and corruption watchdogs such as NAB so that the public's looted money can be recovered in the interest of Pakistan, the petitioners said.
However, they alleged the information department was unceasingly publishing, using national money, advertisements in various newspapers showing pictures of unofficial persons, despite the fact that public funds cannot be used for the personal promotion or political advantage of a party.
SHC seeks details of earnings through political ads
The petitioners also cited NAB's reference filed against former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and others for misusing public funds in the name of the government's awareness campaign advertisements.
In the guise of communicating with the people, in many instances, undue political advantage and mileage is sought to be achieved by glorifying individuals and crediting them as being solely responsible for various government achievements and progressive plans, they argued.
The petitioners stated that such practices have become rampant as the country advances towards the next general election. It was argued that such advertisements not only result in gross wastage of public funds, but also constitutes misuse of government powers and derogates the fundamental rights of a large section of the population as guaranteed under the Constitution.
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Therefore, the court was pleaded to restrain the information department and its officers from misusing and wasting public funds on government advertisements with the intention to project the provincial ruling political party's living and deceased leaders.
It was also requested to declare the government advertisement showing the photographs illegal and ultra vires under Articles 4, 25 and 218 (3) of the Constitution.
The petitioner also urged the constitution of a judicial commission and direction to NAB to probe into the allocation, distribution and utilisation of funds worth billions of rupees for the government advertisements published in print and electronic media from 2013 to date, and recover public funds used in such advertisements.