Govt given last chance to file comments on 'discriminatory' funds release

Opposition legislators claim constituents being meted out unjust treatment by PPP-led government

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) allowed on Monday time to the provincial government till November 29, as a last chance to file a reply regarding alleged discrimination in the release of funds for development schemes in opposition lawmakers' constituencies.

Headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, a two-judge bench summoned provincial finance department officer concerned by the next date of the hearing. The judges granted time to the Pakistan Peoples Party-led (PPP) provincial government after the law officer requested for more time to enable him to submit a reply of the authorities concerned.



The petition was filed by the Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) MPAs Nusrat Sehar Abbasi and Pir Rashid Shah, who moved the court in May seeking directives for the government to release funds for development projects to be executed in their respective constituencies. They had named the provincial chief secretary, planning and development department's secretary, chief minister's principal secretary and other provincial authorities as respondents.

The opposition legislators had alleged that their constituents were being meted out unjust treatment by the PPP-led government in terms of withholding funds for development schemes to be undertaken in their areas, only due to their political affiliation.
Abbasi, elected on a seat reserved for women, and Pir Rashid Shah, an MPA from Khairpur, claimed that the local authorities had approved their uplift projects but the schemes could not be executed due to shortage of funds. They had pleaded to the court to direct provincial government to release funds for the approved development schemes.



On Monday, a provincial law officer requested for more time to file comments on behalf of the provincial government. The judges took serious exception to the attitude of the authorities who had failed to submit replies despite being granted time at various occasions.
Allowing the request, as a last chance, the judges directed the law officer to submit the government's reply by November 29. They summoned the officer concerned of the finance department to appear in the court on the next date of the hearing.