SHC orders immediate release of funds

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court dismissed the Sindh Finance Department’s plea on Tuesday seeking three weeks’ time to release funds for the bone marrow transplant of a child and directed the officials to release funds within a week.

While hearing a plea for the release of funds, a two-member bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, remarked that why hurdles were being created in the release of funds despite the approval by the chief minister. The Sindh CM had approved Rs2.9 million for the girl’s treatment and the SHC Chief Justice took notice of delay in payment.



Earlier on Monday, the SHC had accepted the contempt of court petition filed against the Sindh chief secretary and health additional secretary for not granting funds for the bone marrow of 16-year-old Obaid Raza. A two-member bench heard the petition filed by Amjad Ali, brother of Raza. Raza’s counsel, Usman Farooq, maintained that the government had promised funds for Raza’s treatment but the amount had not been released.

The court, accepting the petition, had ordered the defendants to release funds for Raza’s treatment. However, Ali said that the funds were not received till date. “My 16-year-old brother is suffering from bone marrow, a dangerous illness. The Sindh government on November 22 had granted approval of Rs3.6 million for the treatment. The amount has not been released despite the approval from the health additional secretary.” Ali requested the court to order the immediate release of funds for treatment.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2019.