LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday directed Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif to deposit Rs 5.5 million to the national exchequer over the misuse of public money in the campaign to advertise the government development projects.
The chief justice was hearing the suo motu case of the use of public money for advertisement of uplift schemes by the provincial governments at Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry when he gave these injunctions against Shehbaz.
During the court proceedings today, the secretary information informed the court that Rs 10.2 million has been spent for the commercials sponsored by the government.
At which, Justice Nisar observed the hefty amount could have been spent to resolve the lingering civic-issues.
The monthly spending on advertisements makes Rs 1.5 billion annually, the CJP remarked.
He then inquired about any methodology of spending the staggering amount on the government commercials.
The CJP was also shown the posters depicting the PML-N leaders including Shehbaz Sharif.
Justice Nisar noted that the general elections were drawing near and the government would spend more public money on it’s campaign.
The chief justice then issued notices to ruling PML-N, Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab government and All Pakistan Newspapers’ Society (APNS).
Earlier on Feb 28, the CJP took suo motu notice of the use of public money for advertisement of uplift schemes by the provincial governments.
The chief justice observed that the advertisement of development projects and the governments’ achievements was tantamount to pre-poll rigging.
He questioned why the provincial governments were using the money from national kitty for such purpose.
Advertisements, which portrayed political leaders and are aimed at self-promotion, were being given at the expense of public money, he noted.
CJP Nisar asked the provincial authorities to come up with an explanation for using taxpayers’ money for the purpose. If they like self-promotion, they should use party funds, he added.
He observed that the millions of rupees spent on advertisements should have been given to hospitals to improve healthcare.
The chief justice directed the information secretaries of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to submit details of advertisements awarded by the provincial governments to media houses.
