ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will today take up a petition challenging the government’s decision to divert Rs24 billion of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for discretionary spending on parliamentarians’ schemes.
A single bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Athar Minallah will conduct hearing of the petition filed by PML-N MNA Mohsin Ranjha.
He filed the petition seeking to freeze the transfer of funds, and to seek details from the Ministry of Planning and Development that how they would be utilised.
Ranjha stated that he is aggrieved of the refusal of the Ministry of Planning to divulge key information of public importance on diversion of funds to the tune of Rs 24 billion from grant No 137 i.e China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to grant No 108 i.e discretionary spending on parliamentary schemes.
He mentioned that Rs 27 billion were allocated to CPEC out of which Rs24 billion have been diverted which can only be seen as an attempt to undo the hard work that has gone into CPEC and the same was done illegally and in violation of the mandate of Articles 78-84 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Therefore, he prayed to the court to direct the respondents to immediately furnish information requested by the petitioner and also suspend the diversion of Rs.24 billion from China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) allocation till the final adjudication of the present petition.