Need-based: PHC orders govt to stop transfer of college funds to ICU

Islamia university fails to reply to application requesting financial details

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court barred authorities from diverting Tehkal Government Degree College funds to Islamia College University Peshawar (ICU) on Thursday.

Advocate Essa Khan filed a writ and appeared before a divisional bench comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Younis Taheem. Essa said the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government approved Rs190 million for the construction and operation of Tehkal Government Degree College in 2012 which was allocated and diverted to ICU.



Essa termed the step illegal and unconstitutional and said despite the transfer of funds by the government, ICU has not built the college. He added he received no reply from ICU when he filed an application requesting information about the transfer of funds and other financial details in September.

“Instead of constructing a much-needed new college, ICU diverted the funds to its own financially stable institution,” he said. The advocate said Tehkal was a very populated area with a very low literacy rate. “This is due to the low number of educational institutions in the vicinity,” he said.

Essa argued people of the locality were deprived of their right and urged the PHC to stop the transfer of funds which were not even being utilised according to their original allotment.

The bench after hearing the arguments ordered the government to cease the transfer of funds and issued notices to higher education and finance secretaries to seek a reply from ICU.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2015.