LAHORE - The Lahore High Court yesterday reserved verdict on a petition challenging disbursement of development funds among the parliamentarians. 

MPA Shunila Ruth filed petition through his counsel Advocate Sheraz Zaka and challenged discrimination in development funds.  The petitioner’s counsel argued that the funds regarding development schemes had been released to every MPA belonging to ruling party PML-N but the MPAs belonging to opposition had not been issued funds.

The MPAs of opposition side were discriminated in this regard, said the petitioner through his counsel. He said after the orange line metro train project commenced, the other welfare projects had been compromised. He alleged that the government was only favouring its own MPAs depriving the petitioner and other members of opposition.

The lawyer stated that development schemes submitted by the petitioner related to rehabilitation of health centre, missionary schools as well as some churches that required repair after the commencement of orange train project.

During the proceedings, the court raised a question regarding evidence whether allocation of quota had been granted to MPAs belonging to treasury benches, Advocate Zaka said the evidence was with the secretary of minority affairs as development schemes were supposed to be submitted before him.

However, an assistant advocate general opposed the petition stating that the secretary of minority affairs had no jurisdiction to deal with the development schemes as the petitioner should have brought the issue in pre-budget session and the appropriate forum was assembly. After hearing both sides, Justice Ayesha A Malik of the LHC reserved the verdict.