IHC seeks reply from PM's Secretariat on announcing cash reward for cricket team

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a notice to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat seeking reply on a petition filed against announcement of cash rewards for all players of the Pakistan cricket team and administration for winning the Champions Trophy 2017.

In notice, IHC Justice Aamer Farooq has asked the principal secretary to apprise the court regarding the law under which PM Nawaz Sharif announced reward for national cricketers.

Referring to a notification issued on June 21, the petitioner said that 15 players of the cricket team who participated in Champions Trophy will get Rs10 million, while members of team management will be awarded Rs5 million.

He maintained they (players) as regular employees of the government receive a monthly salary, funds from other sources earning more than a 22-grade officer, adding that victorious team should be hailed but distribution of public money in an extravagant manner is not as per the law.

The petitioner said that the government could use this money for public welfare, and asked the court to declare the notification null and void with direction to the government to use it for facilitating the public.

The court was also requested to bar the prime minister from distributing the amount, but the premier had given the cheques to cricketers hours before the court served noticed.

Responding to the petitioner's arguements,  deputy attorney general Raja Khalid Mehmood, counsel for the federal government said that the prime minister is authorised under Article 78 to 87 of the Constitution to announced cash rewards and other grants.

The court adjourned the hearing till a date to be fixed by the registrar office.