Supreme Court on Tuesday issued directives to all chief secretaries and commissioner Islamabad to explain whether the use of public money by government departments on advertisement campaigns was permissible. A three-judge bench of the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry resumed the hearing of a case regarding a dispute about the payment of Rs 147 million through a media advertisement company Midas to different newspapers regarding the publication of advertisements on the request of Universal Service Fund (USF) formed in 2007.
The bench questioned whether media advertisements carrying photographs of government functionaries were permissible under the rules. It also directed the counsel for Ministry of Information and Ministry of Information Technology to submit before it a list of advertisement companies and funds allocated to them and the amount of money spent on publication of advertisement by different ministries.
It is to be noted that the main motive of USF is to work towards creating telecom infrastructure in remote areas and the source of income of this fund is to get Rs 1.5 percent from the revenue of telecom companies. The total amount of USF is about Rs 49 billion.
Appearing on court's notice, Secretary Ministry of Information Technology Tariq Zaman submitted that 8-member USF Board had decided for media advertisement. Therefore, Rs 147 million was allocated in that regard. The bench repeatedly asked the secretary IT whether rules of USF department had allowed them for media advertisement, but he failed to satisfy the court.
The court also examined a copy of the advertisement bearing the photographs of government functionaries. The Chief Justice expressed his serious concern over the contents of media ads, carrying pictures of political leaders. He said that if anyone wanted his promotion through advertisements then he should spend money from his own pocket. Regarding the removal of USF Chief Executive Officer Ashar Siddiqui, secretary IT said that USF's board had terminated his service due to his poor performance.
He rejected the former CEO's allegations that he resisted the sanctioning of media advertisement's fund to Midas illegally; therefore he was removed from the service. He insisted that the performance of two officers, including A Riaz Ashar Siddiqui was not satisfactory.
On the other hand, Raja Aamer Abbas, the counsel for Riaz Ashar Siddiqui, submitted that his client was removed from service after he objected to the release of funds to advertising companies for publication of advertisements. Aamer further said that after terminating the service of his client, the management had appointed son of Ahmed Riaz Sheikh as acting Chief Executive USF.
He further told the court that even NAB had pressurised his client to release advertisements to advertising companies. He told the court that the information provided to the court were incorrect. He also claimed that A Riaz Ashar Siddiqui was the best CEO of year 2002.
Zulfiqar Malooka, the counsel for Secretary, Ministry of Information, apprised the bench that the Ministry of Information distributes material for publication to print and electronic media through Press Information Department (PID). The court directed the counsel to assist it by collecting figures of the departments with a view to ascertaining whether or not the spending of public money on government advertisements was permissible. Later, the bench adjourned the hearing of case till December 7.