F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: A divisional bench comprising of Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid and Justice Arshad Ali declare advertisement with Member National or Provincial Assembly and inaugural boards with their names illegal and ordered stopping of the practice because it is establishing from public taxes, on Wednesday.
Member Provincial Assembly Bilawal Afridi has challenged advertisement issued for development projects in Khyber district with the name Member National Assembly Noor-ul-Haq Qadri while counsel for petitioner Muzzam Butt Advocate along with Additional Deputy Commissioner Khyber Abdul Hasseb Khalil and Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shumail Ahmad appeared before court.
The petition stated that advertisement of developmental projects in Jamrud and Landi Kotal have been issued with name of MNA Noor-ul-Haq Qadri which against law.
Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa informed that these projects are initiated under annual developmental fund and executive has approved it while its bidding is also completed while counsel for petitioner argued that government can neither give credit to private person nor an advertisement can be issued with name of private person and added that name of MNA in advertisement is against law.
Advocate General informed that it is approved on 10 April and contract is awarded in online biding to lowest quotation provided by the company without any interference of parliamentarian and public representative on pure merit basis.
Justice Arshad Ali directed to issue corrigendum in this regard while Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid remarked that court should direct TMAs to eliminate name of MNA from advertisement but court shall not direct to re-advertise the process because it should cause further expanses to national exchequer while disposed-off the petition.
