PESHAWAR:
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has imposed a strict ban on the use of government resources, vehicles and personnel in protests, long marches, rallies and other activities of political parties. He ruled that such actions constitute misconduct and undermine public confidence in government.
The court issued the directions while disposing of a writ petition filed by Jawad Ali. A division bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Dr Khurshid Iqbal heard the case. Lawyer Intekhab Chamkani represented the petitioner.
In the petition, it was argued that the PTI-led Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government had used state resources in various protests and political demonstrations, leading to misuse of taxpayers’ money.
The petitioner submitted a list of official vehicles allegedly used in recent rallies and claimed that public property was being diverted from its intended administrative purposes to serve the interests of a single political party.
He said party workers had started treating government vehicles as their personal property, as witnessed in the recent protests.
During the proceedings, the Deputy Advocate General, representing the provincial government, argued that the lists submitted to the court were incorrect and that the PTI-led provincial government was not using state resources for political purposes.
He argued that officials participated in such events in their personal capacity and used their own private resources.
In its detailed judgment written by Justice Asadullah, the court said it had carefully considered the concerns raised in the petition, as well as the lists of vehicles and other resources presented.
The Court observed that misuse of public property for party activities erodes public trust and creates administrative difficulties for the government itself.
He believed that in a democratic system, all institutions have clearly defined boundaries and must operate within them. He said no department functioning with public funds can become an instrument of any political party, regardless of which party is in power.
The judgment emphasizes that state resources are generated solely by public money and therefore no individual or political entity has the right to use them for rallies, demonstrations or long marches.
The Court observed that public expectations of democratic government require strict adherence to transparency and accountable governance.
He stressed that administrative officers must ensure that official vehicles, ministry property and government personnel are not used during a political event.
Participation of government employees in such activities, the court added, constitutes professional misconduct and may result in disciplinary action.
Concluding the case, the PHC rejected the petition and ordered all administrative heads to strictly enforce the ban, ensuring that no state department, employee or resource is used to support any political rally, protest or sit-in.
