Govt faces court scrutiny over new cars

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court Justice Rasaal Hasan Syed has sought replies from the authorities concerned on a plea challenging a finance department notification as per which the provincial government had allocated over Rs2.3 billion to purchase new vehicles for public functionaries.

The petition filed through Advocate Mudasar Chaudhry had requested the court to restrain the provincial finance department from purchasing the vehicles.

The same court while hearing another petition earlier had also sought a report within 10 days from the caretaker government about how much vehicles were with the departments and their officers.

The bench had signaled that it might summon the officers concerned if it was not satisfied.

As the hearing commenced on Thursday, a law officer raised objection over the maintainability of the petition.

The petitioner's counsel argued that Pakistan was facing many problems, including terrorism, inflation and economic challenges that were increasing day by day. The political leaders were at loggerheads with each other and the government had failed to deliver a system of good governess, result in a rapid rise of the poverty ratio.

The counsel said the life of the common people had become miserable.

He said the government's finance department had requested the provincial authorities for the advance withdrawal of funds for purchasing the new vehicles for the use of officers posted in the Punjab Board of Revenue headquarters, divisional commissioners and other officials.

The counsel contended that the respondent chief secretary had allocated Rs2.33 billion for the purpose.

He claimed that the government's conduct was against the fundamental rights of the citizen of Punjab.

He contended that the order for the purchase of vehicles was against

the law. All the assets, funds and properties of Punjab could only be used for the benefit of its people, he contended.

The petitioner's lawyer stated that the condition of government hospitals and schools as well as public transport in the province was pathetic, which needed immediate attention and funds as the poor could not afford to go to private hospitals, clinics and schools.

He also said unemployment was at its peak and an allowance for the jobless was direly needed. The government of Punjab should spend the amount of Rs2.33 billion on the millions of citizens rather than a limited number of government officials.

He argued that the provincial government should take measures to mitigate the suffering of the poor people of Punjab by continuing various subsidies for them.

He stated that the petitioner was entitled to protection from illegal acts and abuse of official powers as a citizen of the country, while the respondent was duty bound to take remedial actions.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2023.