PESHAWAR: A social activist on Thursday challenged in the Peshawar High Court the transfer of government funds by provincial sports and tourism minister Mehmood Khan into his personal account and requested it to declare such a funds transfer illegal and issue an order for his removal from the cabinet.

Cultural Heritage Forum’s general secretary Shakeel Waheedullah filed the writ petition, stating that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had suspended three government officials for transferring the amount whereas no action was taken against the minister, which was an act of discrimination.

The petitioner has requested the PHC that the act of the minister may be declared as unlawful, with mala fide intentions, corrupt practice and in violation of Article 5 of the Constitution. He urged the court to direct the provincial government to remove the minister from the cabinet.

Mr Waheedullah has based his petition on a report that appeared in Dawn on April 8 wherein the minister had admitted that Rs1.8 million had been transferred from his discretionary fund as minister to his personal account.

He had also stated that the fund transfer happened due to his lack of understanding of the system.

The petitioner stated that the minister had taken oath as provided in Third Schedule to the Constitution and promised that he would not allow his personal interest to influence any official conduct. He stated that the minister had transferred the money in violation of his oath of office.

He stated that following appearance of the news item in media the provincial government suspended secretary sports Ahmad Hassan, director general sports Tariq Mehmood and another official Mohammad Tariq.

The petition was filed through advocate Muazzam Butt. The petitioner stated that as he had no other remedy available, he was filing this writ petition under Article 199 of the Constitution.

He said that according to official documents the provincial directorate of sports issued two cross cheques of Rs1 million and Rs0.8 million respectively each in the name of the minister in Dec 2013 and Feb 2014 and the said cheques were deposited in the minister’s personal account in a bank in Peshawar.

It was also alleged that the minister had proceeded on an official visit to Germany in violation of the relevant rules and without involving the federal government.

Prominent among the nine respondents are the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor, the provincial government through chief secretary, provincial minister Mehmood Khan, federal interior secretary, provincial information secretary and Election Commission of Pakistan.