The CJP grills government for lack of transparency in funds being distributed to the people, seek further reports and adjourns hearing for two weeks.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-April 20th, 2020) Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed observed that there was lack of “transparency” so far in the steps taken by the government to contain Coronavirus pandemic here on Monday.
“All governments are spending money for relief but no transparency has been seen so far,” CJP Gulzar remaked. He gave these remarks while hearing a suo motu case pertaining to the Federal and provincial governments' response to the Covid-19 crisis.
A five-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmad was hearing the case.
During the proceedings, the federal government submitted a report on steps taken by it to contain Coronavirus in the country.
“Monitoring should be done of what the provinces are doing with the money,” observed Justice Umar Ata Bandial—the other member of the bench.
The CJP remarked: “The money given to the government by the people is not for foreign tours or for TA & DA,”.
“Zakat money cannot be used for office expenses,” Justice Gulzar said, observing that how charity money could be used for officials’ salaries. He said that the government should give salaries to officials. The CJP surprised that DG Baitul Mal was also receiving his salary from the Zakat fund.
“More than Rs 9 billion were collected in Zakat but nothing was mentioned as how the money was passed on to the deserving people,” Justice Bandial remarked. Advocate Generals of all four provinces appeared before the Supreme Court and submitted details about the money being distributed among the poor and deserving people.
Appearing before the bench, Punjab advocate general told the court that the provincial government was distributing relief money among people whose income had been affected due to the lockdown, through EasyPaisa. However, Justice Gulzar observed that the details of the money spent were not mentioned in the report.
The top court also questioned Sindh Salman Talibuddin Advocate General over details of money spent on ration bags which were distributed among the lower-income people. On it, the Sindh AG said that the provincial government distributed Rs569 million from the Zakat fund among more than 94,000 people, adding that this amount was distributed among the people who used to get Zakat every year.
At this, the top court surprised as how the Sindh government distributed ration bags of worth Rs 1billion without knowing anyone.
“The pictures of the smallest things are handed over to media by the Sindh government,” the CJP remarked. On it, the law officer said that the pictures were not being made because the government did not want to do politics over Coronavirus. The AG said that Union Committee provided date to the government to receive amounts.
Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, another member of the bench, also said that it was painful that the province was being criticized. On it, the AG said that the people who talk would continue to talk. About sealing 11 Union Councils in Karachi, the AG told the court that these were sealed after 12, 234 cases were identified from the areas of these unions and around 600,000 people lived there.
The top court expressed satisfactory over reopening of some industries, observing that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) must be followed. The Baluchistan government also submitted report on quaraintine centers for the people coming from Iran and relief that was provided to the people.
The bench paid tribute to the doctors and paramedical staff fighting as frontline heroes in fight against Coronavirus. Further hearing of the case was adjourned for two weeks.
