By: Kamran Ali Shah
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday imposed a ban on unrelated gatherings within the premises of government, offices, educational institutions, schools, colleges and universities.
The case was heard at the Peshawar High Court regarding gatherings in educational institutions and government spaces that were deemed irrelevant. Justice Sahibzada Asadullah issued a five-page decision in the matter, banning such gatherings on the premises of government institutions.
According to the petitioner’s lawyer, these irrelevant gatherings in schools, colleges, and universities are unconstitutional. The decision emphasises that the responsibility for the appropriate use of government facilities lies with the relevant officers. Educational and government institutions should only be used for the purposes for which they were established.
Read also: PHC bars KP govt from using government resources in political activities
Peshawar High Court(PHC) barred the government from using official vehicles for rallies, long marches, and other political activities and termed it a blatant violation of law.
The court ruled that the use of rescue machinery and the fire brigade in political rallies is blatant dishonesty. Use of government resources for political purposes is tantamount to undermining public trust. The court order states that under Articles 4, 5, 25, public resources are not the property of any single party, but these resources are collective public property, which cannot be used for personal political use.
The court orders to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government not to deploy government machinery and staff for long marches. The court further ruled that government vehicles and machinery are for public service, not for political motives.
The court declared that the deployment of government officials in political activities is tantamount to corruption and misuse of authority. The order strictly prevents the provincial government and officials from misusing government resources. For political use of government resources undermines the impartiality of governance.
