Commission's proposal: no adspend at the cost of public exchequer

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Tuesday questioned under which law development funds can be distributed among the members of the Parliament and provincial assemblies. "We might have to place embargo that no public funds be issued to the MNAs and MPAs," said CJP Mian Saqib Nisar while heading a three-member bench, which heard a suo motu on huge public money spent on advertisements for aggrandizement of prominent political personalities.
A two-member commission comprising Advocates Munir A Malik and Babar Sattar submitted its report. The commission's report has proposed that no political party shall run a publicity campaign in print and electronic media at the cost of public exchequer. The Chief Justice on March 12 had constituted a commission to prepare guidelines for the government advertisements.
"No government functionary or elected representative including a local government functionary or elected representative shall announce any development scheme for a constituency after the announcement of the election programme of that constituency," the report said. It also said that there should be no arbitrary use of public funds for government advertisements aimed at projecting political leaders, political parties, partisan agendas or governments without any attendant public purpose.
The report said that the purpose of government advertising is to inform citizens about their rights, obligations, entitlements and responsibilities as well as government policies, programmes, services or initiatives. Another purpose of government advertisement is to inform citizens regarding the policies, programmes, services, initiatives and decisions of the government in compliance with the principles of parliamentary democracy and responsible governance.
The government advertisement's aim is also to encourage public involvement in government decision-making, and educate and inform the public about community interests and dangers or risks to public health, safety or the environment, etc.
The government advertisements should not contain the name or give prominence to the voice or image of the head of an institution or individual, including, inter alia, a past or incumbent prime minister, chief minister, minister, member of Parliament or candidate for an election to Parliament or portraying or promoting the said public office holder in a manner regarded as excessive or gratuitous, except in a limited case of government advertisements involving a public awareness campaigns in pursuit of legitimate state purpose where such voice or image is essential to such information, message or campaign. The government advertisements should not be for disparaging, ridiculing or attacking the opposition parties, political party leaders, state institutions or the government of a federating unit, the report mentioned.