LAHORE: A writ petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court requesting a full accounting of public funds used for the media and publicity campaigns of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
The petition, submitted by lawyer and social activist Barrister Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi, follows an earlier right‑to‑information request sent to the Punjab Information and Culture Department, the Finance Department, and the Director General of Public Relations.
He is asking for a detailed breakdown of expenditures incurred from February 26, 2024, to the present, covering advertisements, promotional materials, and any content featuring the chief minister’s name, image, or video across all platforms.
In the petition, Barrister Niazi argues that the alternative remedy before the information commission is ineffective because its commissioners serve at the pleasure of the sitting government.
He cites a Supreme Court ruling that affirms access to information as a fundamental right, not merely a matter of administrative grace.
The lawyer emphasizes that transparency in state spending is essential to a functioning representative democracy.
Concealing the details of large‑scale publicity efforts, he contends, constitutes a constitutional violation and exploits the public.
The petitioner asks the court to admit the petition and to order the Punjab government to release the requested breakdowns of publicity‑campaign contracts and expenditure sheets in the interest of justice, equity, and transparency.
Published in Dawn, July 2, 2026
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