The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday barred the Sindh government from disbursing the funds allocated for uplift schemes to be executed in the constituencies of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) lawmakers.
The restraining order came on a petition filed by the PML-F lawmakers who have gone to the court against provincial authorities for withholding their funds for development schemes.
The counsel for the petitioners submitted that the Sindh government had announced annual development programme named Priority Development Programme (PDP) for financial year 2013-14 with an allocation to the tune of Rs 8,600 million to be executed through the lawmakers of the province. As per programme, each MNA and MPA was allocated funds worth Rs40 million the development schemes subject to governments approbation. A notification dated November 11, 2013 was also issued in this regard.
He said all the petitioners furnished their suggestions regarding schemes which were subsequently approved. However, unlike lawmakers belonging to the ruling party, funds for execution of schemes had still not been disbursed to petitioners for initiation and completion of schemes.
He said that provincial authorities illegally and unlawfully withheld the funds for schemes at the instances of the ruling party in order to malign petitioners in the eyes of their constituents and damage their political career.
The counsel told the judges that the provincial government was utilizing the funds for the benefits of legislators of ruling party. Therefore, he requested the court to restrain relevant authorities from utilizing funds for uplift schemes which will be executed in constituencies of petitioners.
During hearing on Friday, the counsel filed statement copies of administrative approval issued by the Sindh government to PML-F legislators including Muhammad Shehryar Khan Mahar, Haji Khuda Bux Rajar, Saeed Khan Nizamani, Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, Rafique Baban and Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh.
The court restrained the Sindh government from releasing funds for approved schemes to be executed in the constituencies of PML-F lawmakers to anybody till further orders. The court also issued notice to provincial law officer to file comments on the petitions by September 8.
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