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. It has ruled that such actions constitute misconduct and undermine public trust in the government.
The court issued these directions while resolving a writ petition filed by Jawad Ali. A division bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Dr Khurshid Iqbal heard the case. Advocate Intekhab Chamkani represented the petitioner.
The petition argued that the PTI’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government had been using state resources during various protests and political rallies, resulting in misuse of taxpayers’ money.
The petitioner presented a list of official vehicles allegedly used during recent demonstrations and claimed that public property was being diverted from its intended administrative purposes to serve the interests of a single political party.
He claimed that party workers had started considering government vehicles as their personal property, as seen during the recent protest activities.
During the proceedings, the Deputy Attorney General, representing the provincial government, argued that the lists presented before the court were incorrect and that the PTI-led provincial government was not using state resources for political purposes.
He argued that government workers participated in such events in their personal capacity and using their own private resources.
In its detailed judgment written by Justice Asadullah, the court stated that it carefully examined the concerns raised in the petition, along with the vehicle lists and other appeals submitted.
The court observed that misuse of public assets for partisan activities erodes public trust and creates administrative difficulties for the government itself.
He argued that in a democratic system all institutions have clearly defined boundaries and must operate within them. He declared that any department run on public funds cannot become an instrument of a political party, regardless of which party is in power.
The ruling highlighted that state resources are generated solely with public money and, therefore, no individual or political entity has the right to use them for rallies, protests or long marches.
The court observed that public expectations of a democratic government require strict adherence to transparency and responsible governance.
He emphasized that administrative officials must ensure that official vehicles, departmental assets and government personnel are not used in any political events.
Participation by government employees in such activities, the court added, constitutes misconduct and may result in disciplinary action.
At the conclusion of the case, the PHC dismissed the petition and directed all administrative heads to strictly enforce the ban, ensuring that no state department, employee or resource is used in support of any political demonstration, protest or sit-in.
