News @ 3 - 8th March 2018

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday directed Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif to deposit Rs 5.5 million to the national exchequer over the misuse of public money in the campaign to advertise the government development projects.

The chief justice was hearing the suo motu case of the use of public money for advertisement of uplift schemes by the provincial governments at Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry when he gave these injunctions against Shehbaz.

During the court proceedings today, the secretary information informed the court that Rs 10.2 million has been spent for the commercials sponsored by the government.

At which, Justice Nisar observed the hefty amount could have been spent to resolve the lingering civic-issues.

The monthly spending on advertisements makes Rs 1.5 billion annually, the CJP remarked.

He then inquired about any methodology of spending the staggering amount on the government commercials.

The CJP was also shown the posters depicting the PML-N leaders including Shehbaz Sharif.

Justice Nisar noted that the general elections were drawing near and the government would spend more public money on it’s campaign.