PHC suspends LG Commission’s decision

Stoppage of uplift schemes in Karak

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has suspended a decision of the Local Government Commission that had stopped the Karak district government from executing development schemes in the Annual Development Programme for 2016-17.

The division bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ijaz Anwar also suspended the notice issued by the Local Government Commission to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Karak District Nazim Umar Daraz Khattak and deputy commissioner to appear in person for alleged irregularities in the budget in a complaint by the opposition leader belonging to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal in the Karak district council.

The bench issued notice to secretary Local Government Commission. He was directed to submit reply before the next hearing. The court issued directions in a writ petition filed by Umar Daraz Khattak and district councillors, including Intikhab Alam and Abdul Tawab through their lawyer Shumail Ahmad Butt.

The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through chief secretary, Local Government Commission through its secretary, director general of Local Government and Rural Development Department, commissioner of Kohat division and deputy commissioner Karak were made parties in the petition.

During the hearing, the petitioners’ lawyer submitted that opposition leader Maulana Mirzaqeem of JUI-F had filed a complaint against the district nazim and other councillors for their alleged irregularities in the district budget when his schemes were not included in the ADP.

“A letter was accordingly issued by director general, Local Government and Rural Development Department, in his capacity, dated 04.05.2017, duly addressing Kohat commissioner, conveying that a decision was made at the 28th meeting of the Local Government Commission that work on execution of development schemes under District ADP 2016-17 of Karak may be stopped forthwith till further orders.

Furthermore, the deputy commissioner and district nazim have been directed to appear in person before the commission,” the writ petition stated.