PESHAWAR: A local court here on Wednesday rejected a petition, seeking registration of an FIR against Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for giving a grant of Rs50 million to Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

The additional sessions judge, Asmatullah Wazir, ruled that the court was not impressed by the petitioner’s counsel contention regarding commission of breach of trust or any other offence under Pakistan Penal Code. “Consequently, the petition being devoid of force and merits stands dismissed,” the judge ruled.

The petition was filed by Advocate Noorul Basar under Section 22-A of Code of Criminal Procedure, which empowered the court to act as ‘justice of peace’ and order registration of a case for commission of an offence.

The petitioner stated that Mr Gandapur announced and provided a grant of Rs50 million to LHCBA, which was outside the jurisdiction of the chief minister in another province. He said that it amounted to bribery and misuse of financial resources of the province.

Petition claims Gandapur violated public trust by providing grant to PHCBA

He contended that Mr Gandapur betrayed public trust and violated the sanctity of provincial funds by allocating them to a different province without any emergency or disaster-related justification.

The petitioner said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was already facing serious financial challenges and such an allocation was unconstitutional and illegal. He claimed that the chief minister’s action breached his oath of office and contradicted the mandates of the Constitution and judgements of Supreme Court regarding use of public funds.

He stated that he had approached the relevant police station, but the officials had declined to register an FIR against the chief minister.

Advocate Bashar Naveed appeared for the chief minister whereas the assistant public prosecutor, Syeda Alvina Shah, represented the state.

Bashar Naveed contended that the petitioner had questioned grant of fund to a legal bar association which was in accordance with Section 57 of Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Act, 1973.

He argued that Mr Gandapur was the chief minister of the province and was competent to provide grant to any bar and no cognisable offence had taken place.

He said that the provision of grant to LHCBA was also approved by the provincial cabinet. He added that provision of grant to a legal bar association was not a crime under PPC or any other available law.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2025