Balochistan High Court Orders Minister to Return Money Spent on Religious Schools

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: Balochistan High Court had ordered the Senior Minister for Planning and Development to return the funds allocated from Chief Ministers’ Secretariat and Public Sector Development Fund for the construction of a religious seminary in Muslim Bagh.

He was held responsible for manipulation and securing huge public money from the public exchequer by misusing his present position.

A Divisional Bench comprising Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court Qazi Faez Isa passed these remarks while hearing of a petition filed by Moulavi Mohammad Akram and Moulavi Mohammad Alam, both residents of Muslim Bagh.

Rs 15.4 million had been allocated from Chief Minister’s discretionary fund and Rs 9.2 million from MPAs by misusing his influence as Senior Minister for Planning and Development. If the decision was not implemented the action will be taken under the provision of Revenue Act, court ordered.

“If any political party has been granted permission to construct a religious seminary on public exchequer then in future all the political parties will get this right to construct a seminary at the cost of public money,” court observed adding that it was the violation of constitution of Pakistan and moral obligation of human being and Islam also not allowed such behaviour.

The petitioner stated that Chief Minister of Balochistan had allocated Rs 50 million for the reconstruction of 43 mosques and seminaries which had been washed away by flash floods in Zhob district only. He further stated that Senior Minister allocated Rs 10.54 million for reconstruction of a seminary under its own supervision. The Senior Minister should have renewed the summary which was filed earlier but he did not. He also complained that in the governing body of seminary also included close relatives of Senior Minister thus it will be impossible to ensure the transparency.

“The allocation of Rs 9.2 million taken from the MPAs Fund should had been spent on the welfare of the people and why the huge amount was allocated for a single seminary,” stated by petitioner who filed two similar petitions regarding this issue.

The government Lawyer Nasurallah Achakzai stated that the petitioner does not own any mosque therefore he does not have the right to oppose it. Lawyer Kamran Murza stated that it was the obligation of government where to spend its money and no one has right to ask or appose it. Even those MPAs who allocated funds they have not involved in petition.

After hearing the arguments the court observed “the Senior Minister did not follow the oath and the second fact is that he included his close relatives and party affiliated in governing body of seminary which vigor the notion that the money will not be spent in transparent manner and the law of land also does not allow to construct such seminary on public exchequer.”

The court further said the allocated fund must be returned within 90 days and if the decision was not implemented the action will be taken under the Revenue Act. Court also asked the petitioner if the decision was not implemented then he must inform the court. The office was asked to send the copies of orders to Chief Secretary and Secretary Finance and also asked the authority concerned to allocate the funds keeping view the all aspects.