Development funds for MPs’ uplift scheme: PM denies, his MPs confirm

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent denial before the Supreme Court that funds were provided by his government for the development schemes of legislators is contrary to what his MPs have admitted in the past.

In mid-March 2020, PTI’s Karachi president and Sindh Assembly member Khurram Sher Zaman held a press conference where he announced that the federal government had provided development funds to all the MNAs belonging to Karachi.

He was reported in the media to have said that for the first time, a huge amount of funds had been released to Karachi’s MNAs. The PM’s promises to the city were going to be fulfilled, he said, adding that people would now see development work on the streets of Karachi. “The disbursement of Rs3.4 billion of funds to Karachi’s MNAs was carried out under the prime minister’s programme to develop the city,” he had disclosed.

In a recent video, Khurram Sher Zaman was seen commenting on the development schemes of PTI MNAs and MPAs while standing on a street in Karachi that was being repaired. He said that all the city’s PTI MPs are busy in the execution of the federal government-funded development schemes in their respective constituencies.

Shakoor Shad, the PTI MNA who defeated the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) supremo Bilawal Bhutto Zardari from Lyari in the last polls, was also reported to have said that he was thankful to the federal government for not only releasing funds to party MNAs but also announcing and carrying out development projects for the city under the Karachi package.

The PTI’s MPs from Karachi were provided development funds for their constituencies after the emergence of a group of disgruntled MNAs who had sought funds for development schemes. It was reported that Federal Minister for Planning and Special Initiatives Asad Umar had conveyed the concerns of the disgruntled MNAs from Karachi to the PM, after which funds were released to the legislators.

In February 2019, The News’ senior economic correspondent Mehtab Haider had reported that in a bid to please parliamentarians, the PTI-led government had quietly approved discretionary funding of Rs24 billion in the name of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Achievement Programme for the execution of small development schemes recommended by each MNA for their constituencies.

“Keeping in view the slim majority enjoyed by the PTI in the National Assembly, the government has approved the restoration of the SDGs Achievement Programme and established a steering committee under the chairmanship of Special Assistant to PM on Political Affairs Naeemul Haq for approving small development schemes recommended by each MNA for their respective constituencies,” top official sources were quoted as confirmation in the story.

The then steering committee chairman, the late Naeemul Haq, was also contacted by The News and was asked about the restoration of the SDGs programme with an allocated amount of Rs24 billion for the execution of parliamentarians’ schemes. “In his reply, he confirmed and stated ‘yes’,” read the story.

It was reported that since the Supreme Court had earlier barred discretionary funding, the PTI government had sought approval of the federal cabinet for the relaunching of this programme in the country.

The report also referred to a summary for the cabinet forwarded by the Cabinet Division suggesting that the government kick-start the SDGs Achievement Programme which proposed that in each constituency, a committee comprising 20 citizens would recommend small development schemes related to education, health, clean drinking water, gas, electrification and others to the Deputy Commissioner (DC). All DCs would be required to dispatch schemes to the respective provincial Communication and Works Department (C&W) or the respective federal ministry.

Besides these facts, Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s letter on Saturday to the SC registrar has made the apex court’s recent decision of disposing of the case of the alleged distribution of development funds among ruling MPs controversial. Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed disposed of the case concerning allegations that the PM had distributed development funds among lawmakers. He observed in the written order that Justice Qazi Faez Isa should not hear cases involving the premier because he had filed a petition against the PM in his personal capacity. Justice Isa was a member of the bench which heard the case.

Two days after the SC’s decision Justice Isa wrote a letter to the apex court registrar expressing 'shock' that the judgement was released to the media before it was sent to him. Justice Isa said that as per "settled practice" a judgment, once written by the judge heading the bench, is sent to the next most senior judge. He added that Justice Ijazul Ahsan apparently received it but he (Isa) never did -- and everyone knew about it before he saw it.

According to government sources, the MNAs and MPAs do not get cash in hand for uplift schemes. The federal government funds only development schemes in their constituencies.