Govt directed to release funds for Karak judicial complex

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday ordered the provincial government to release funds for the construction of the Karak Judicial Complex within 10 days.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Wiqar Ahmad heard the petition filed by the District Bar Association Karak.

The court warned that failure to release the funds would lead to legal consequences.

During the hearing, Shahid Qayyum Khattak and Ahmad Farooq Khattak advocates informed the court that the provincial government had approved the construction of the Karak Judicial Complex in 2015. However, the project remained incomplete, and the minor construction that was carried out had deteriorated due to lack of maintenance, they added.

The lawyers said that in 2020, the Peshawar High Court had directed the provincial government to allocate funds for the project but despite the orders, no funds had been released to date.

During the proceedings, the chief justice questioned the government representative about the delay in fund allocation. The representative explained that a stay order issued by the court on the umbrella scheme and block allocation was in effect.

However, the chief justice pointed out that this stay order was issued only three weeks ago and did not pertain to the 2020 petition. He added that if the government had objections to the order, it should have appealed to the Supreme Court, which it did not do.

The court directed the government to release the required funds within 10 days, warning that failure to comply would result in further legal action.