SC seeks report on NFC funding to Balochistan

Directs chief secretary to submit statement of funds received through other means as well.


Mudassir Raja April 11, 2013
Balochistan Assembly. PHOTO: ONLINE/FILE

ISLAMABAD:


The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Balochistan government to furnish details of the money it received through the National Finance Commission (NFC) between 2008 and 2013, along with details regarding where the money has been spent.


A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry also directed the chief secretary of the province to submit a clear statement on the receipt of funds from other means and their expenditure.

The bench was hearing a petition filed last year by Abdul Qahar Khan Waddan, a leader of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s Balochistan chapter. In his petition, Waddan accused government officials and elected members of the provincial assembly of mass corruption and misappropriation in several development schemes. He had urged the court to direct concerned quarters to recover the misappropriated funds.

During the proceedings, counsel for the petitioner Advocate Iftikhar Gilani claimed the last government had allocated Rs250 million in discretionary funds to every member of the 60-member Balochistan Assembly for development schemes. He added that most of this money had been misappropriated and the schemes were still unfinished.

Following this, Justice Chaudhry hinted at reexamining the laws and rules allowing special grants to elected representatives who propose development schemes in their areas and supervise their execution.

Before deferring the hearing for Thursday (today), the bench directed the Balochistan government to inform the court as to what criminal or civil actions had been initiated against those responsible after an inspection team too had highlighted deficiencies and corruption in different schemes.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11th, 2013.

COMMENTS (1)

naeem khan Manhattan,Ks | 10 years ago | Reply

"discretionary funds to every member of the 60-member Balochistan Assembly for development schemes." These funds are recipe for corruption, it is that simple.

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ