The Supreme Court (SC) Wednesday issued orders restricting the use of prime minister’s discretionary funds until June 2. The court observed that the government was authorised to continue projects of national interest but funds could not be released on behalf of MNAs or MPAs.
Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Tasadduq Hussain Jillani, the three-member bench heard the former prime minister’s development fund case. The court also issued notices to the finance secretary and the auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) and sought a written reply in this regard.
During the course of proceedings, Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt argued that paragraph 39 of court’s verdict contradicted Article 84 of the Constitution. It was inconsistent with paragraph 31 as well, he added.
Butt prayed the court to allow the government to issue funds for development and energy projects. He said that the prime minister should be allowed to use discretionary funds.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed questioned if the funds were needed for energy projects or to ‘share among the parliamentarians’.
Meanwhile, the bench allowed the government to use public funds, ordering that these funds should not be issued on MNAs or MPAs request. The case hearing has been adjourned till June 2.
