LHC chides govt over delay in payment to contractor

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Monday chided the Punjab government for delaying payment to a contractor who constructed roads in Faisalabad and Sargodha districts during the previous regimes.

“It is better to line up all political rivals and drown them in the sea if they have to starve,” the chief justice observed, expressing displeasure over the government. The chief justice hinted at getting the chief secretary and director general and Anti-Corruption Establishment arrested. He noted that the payment had been withheld for years despite approvals from all forums.

“Have some fear of God and let this country progress,” Chief Justice Khan asked the bureaucracy of the province. The judge adjourned further hearing till June 16 and directed a government’s law officer to come up with an exact time period of the payment to the petitioner.

Royal Construction Company filed the petition saying the government owed it a payment of Rs170 million despite timely competition of the roads for which it was awarded a contract by the previous government.

The company’s counsel said the Faisalabad deputy commissioner at the behest of a sitting MNA stopped the payment despite approvals by the chief minister and the finance department. Funds: Punjab secretary for law & parliamentary affairs Bahadar Ali Khan on Monday told the Lahore High Court that funds of Rs 17 million had been allocated for the bar associations at the principal seat and three regional seats.

The secretary said Rs9 million would be disbursed to Lahore High Court Bar Association-principal seat of Lahore, Rs4 million to Rawalpindi seat and Rs2 million each to Multan and Bahawalpur seats.

The bar associations had filed petitions in the court against the non provision of financial grants the government was bound to pay under Legal Practitioners & Bar Council Act 1973. Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan adjourned further hearing for a week and sought a compliance report from the secretary.