Will transfer bureaucrats to ensure transparent elections

ISLAMABAD: Prohibiting the use of political personalities in the government advertisements, the Supreme Court (SC) Monday sought details of last year advertisement expenditures of government of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) and copies of the ads, carrying photos of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar heard the suo motu notice regarding issuance of advertisements by provincial governments. The CJP observed that the apex court will ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the country adding that the judiciary will shift all bureaucracy from one province to another before the elections.

Qaiser Alam, the KP information secretary, informed the court that the provincial government spent Rs1.63 billion on advertisements during the last five years, while Rs204.7 million was doled out for the purpose during the last three months.

The CJP questioned as to how many advertisements were released by the Provincial Information Department to print and electronic media outlets and how many of them carried photographs of ImranKhan and Pervaiz Khattak.

The KP Information Secretary said that as per provincial government policy, most of the advertisements were not issued for personal projection but related to public facilities and developmental projects.

The CJ asked the information secretary to provide an affidavit that the advertisements do not carry photographs of the party leadership. “If false affidavit was filed, the court will take action,” the CJ remarked and asked the provincial information secretary to bring those ads that carried photos of Imran Khan and Pervaiz Khattak.

He questioned as to whether Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had complied with the court’s order, directing him to reimburse the national exchequer Rs5.5 million which was spent a media campaign run on television channels to highlight performance of the provincial government.

Additional advocate general Punjab Asma Hamid produced a copy of the Rs5.5m cheque that was paid by Sharif in this regard. She submitted before the court that the amount was reimbursed from “party fund”.

The CJ observed that they have nothing against the advertisements, but they should not be for personal publicity. He said that the photos of late PPP leader Benazir Bhutto, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should also not appear in government ads.

The CJ also directed the counsels for All Pakistan Newspapers Society and Pakistan Broadcasters Association to submit their recommendations and adjourned the hearing until today (Tuesday). The court appointed a commission comprising advocates Munir A Malik and Babar Sattar to assist it in formulating guidelines for advertisements on various provincial projects.