A constitutional petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court seeking details of government Ad spending featuring Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif in publicity campaigns.
The petition was filed under Article 199 of the Constitution by Barrister Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi. It requests the court to direct the Punjab government to disclose records of Ad spending featuring the chief minister since February 26, 2024.
According to the petition, the lawyer first sought the information through the Secretary of the Information and Culture Department. He later approached the Punjab Information Commission after allegedly receiving no response.
The petition argues that the failure to provide the requested information violates citizens’ constitutional right to access public information under Article 19A of the Constitution.
The court filing asks the Punjab government to submit complete records of publicity and advertising campaigns funded with public money. It specifically seeks details of Ad spending featuring the name, image, or likeness of the chief minister.
According to the petition, the requested information includes the total number of advertisements published or broadcast. It also seeks the total amount of public funds spent on publicity campaigns.
The petitioner has asked for month-wise and year-wise expenditure records. Department-wise allocations have also been requested to show how public funds were distributed.
The filing further seeks medium-wise spending details across television, newspapers, digital platforms, social media, and outdoor advertising. This includes billboards, banners, and hoardings.
In addition, the petition requests information about advertising agencies, media buying firms, and contractors hired for the campaigns. It also asks for procurement methods, contract values, and copies of agreements or work orders.
The petitioner wants separate details of expenditure related to promotional material carrying the chief minister’s name or image. The filing also seeks the number of such advertisements and their share in the government’s overall publicity campaigns.
The petition further asks for spending on production teams responsible for creating promotional content. It also requests information about social media teams managing the chief minister’s official accounts.
According to the filing, platform-wise advertising expenses have also been requested. These include spending on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X.
Barrister Niazi has additionally sought copies of policies, notifications, approvals, and payment records linked to government publicity campaigns. The petition also requests information about payments made to media organizations and digital platforms.
The petitioner argues that transparency in the use of public funds is a constitutional obligation. He maintains that citizens have the right to know how government advertising budgets are spent.
The Lahore High Court has been requested to direct the relevant authorities to immediately provide the requested information. The petition also asks the court to grant any additional relief considered appropriate under the law.
The matter is expected to come before the court for hearing in due course. Until then, the petition continues to raise questions about transparency and accountability in government advertising expenditure.
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