Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed Sindh government to submit comments on a petition filed by Pakistan Muslims League Nawaz (PML-N)’s lawmakers against alleged discrimination in release of funds for uplift schemes.

A division bench, headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, was hearing the petition filed by the lawmakers hailing from Thatta who moved to the court against Pakistan Peoples Party-led provincial government for discriminating against them.

The petition was filed by MNA Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Shirazi (NA-238), MPA Syed Aijaz Ali Shah Shirazi (PS-84), MPA Syed Ameer Hyder Shah Shirazi (PS-85), and MPA Syed Shah Hussain Shah Shirazi (PS-86).

Advocate MB Khattian, who represented the petitioners, submitted that Sindh chief minister had allocated an amount of Rs40 million for the financial year 2013-14 for development schemes to be executed through the lawmakers in the province.

The provincial authorities had sent the petitioners a letter on November 18, 2013, asking them to submit their proposals with regard to development schemes for their respective constituencies, he said. We furnished our proposals but they were not considered on ground of political rivalry, he added.

He said that the ruling party had adopted a biased attitude towards the lawmakers of Thatta and their supporters as several false and fabricated cases have been registered against them for victimization .

The petitioners complained to the judges that the lawmakers belonging to the ruling party had been awarded funds, whereas they were discriminated. Thatta was a backward district and needed funds immediately for its infrastructural developments, yet it was deprived of the funds, lamented the PML-N lawmakers.

Citing Sindh chief secretary, Planning & Development’s secretary, principal secretary to Sindh chief minister, and other higher authorities as respondents, the petitioners pleaded the court to direct the authorities to submit before it the complete record of uplift funds awarded to the lawmakers in the last three to four years. The court was also requested to order the provincial government to release funds for developmental schemes to be executed in Thatta.