PHC extends stay on ADP block schemes until May 14

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday extended its stay order until May 14 on the inclusion of block and umbrella schemes in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Annual Development Programme (ADP), following a petition filed by opposition members of the provincial assembly.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Naeem Anwar and Justice Kamran Hayat conducted the proceedings.During the hearing, the petitioners informed the court that they had engaged a new lawyer who could not appear due to prior commitments, prompting a request for adjournment.

Additional Advocate General Mohammad Adnan informed the court that the stay order had been in effect since October 2, 2024, and funds for various development projects had not been released due to the court’s directive.

Justice Naeem Anwar warned that the court intended to conclude the hearing on the next date and if the counsel for the petitioners failed to appear, the stay order would be withdrawn.The petition was filed by opposition leader in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Dr Ibad and MPAs Arbab Mohammad Wasim, Ahmad Kundi, Arbab Mohammad Usman, Karamatullah Khan, Ehsanullah Khan, Mohammad Iqbal Khan, and 19 others from various political parties.

They argued that the inclusion of certain block and umbrella schemes in the ADP, approved during the June 2024 budget session, violated legal provisions and established court rulings from the Supreme Court and the Peshawar High Court.

According to the petitioners, these schemes included road construction and water supply projects, with approximately Rs1 billion allocated for them. They alleged that the schemes were unlawfully approved and contradicted the government’s own fund release policy.

The opposition members further claimed that the inclusion of these schemes was politically motivated and based on favouritism and nepotism.They argued that constituencies represented by opposition lawmakers had been deliberately excluded, while government-aligned members were being allocated funds.

They stated that they had raised this issue in the assembly, urging equal distribution of development funds across all constituencies without political bias, as it concerned the rights of citizens in all areas.

The petitioners requested the court to declare the inclusion of all umbrella and block schemes in the ADP as illegal and to restrain the government from releasing or disbursing any funds related to these projects until a final decision is reached. The court adjourned the hearing until May 14.