Nawaz Sharif’s cash reward to Pakistan team challenged in Islamabad HC

Following their triumph at the ICC Champions Trophy, the Pakistan cricketers have been showered with cash rewards and gifts. Although the players have received both cash rewards and gifts in kind like cars, the cash prize that the government of Pakistan had promised them has hit a legal obstacle.

Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, had announced that cash prizes will be awarded to the players after their unprecedented win over India in the final. However, the Prime Minister’s promise has been challenged in the Islamabad High Court.

According to a report in the Express Tribune, Justice Aamer Farooq of Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed Raja Khalid Mehmood, the Deputy Attorney General (DAG), to “apprise the court about the provisions of law enabling the prime minister to announce cash reward.”

The DAG will now inform the IHC regarding the law which allows cash prizes and their upper limit, especially after a disaster. Advocate Tariq Asad was the one who challenged the PM’s announcement. According to him, a sum of Rs 215 million should be sanctioned to Pakistan cricket team and support staff for their win.

What Asad wrote in his petition

In the petition dated 21 June 2017, Asad had written that the 15 players of the team were given Rs 10 million in total while each of the members of the 13-man strong support staff received Rs 5 million by the government. However, they all receive monthly salaries as well. He also wrote about how the distribution of public fund is not in public interest.

Referring to the recent oil tanker explosion in Ahmedpur East, Bahawalpur which killed 200 people, Asad wrote in his petition, “There is no burn section in any nearby hospital. When there were demands of establishing burn wards in local hospitals, the PM had rejected it by saying “it is very expensive”.