KPK ex-ministers default on over Rs7 million hostel rent

PESHAWAR, March 20: The KPK assembly’s Secretariat has said 15 former provincial ministers have gone without clearing their dues of the rooms they occupied in the MPAs Hostel Peshawar though they were not entitled to accommodation in the hostel. According to the Secretariat, former minister for population welfare Salim Khan from Chitral was to pay Rs31,000. A report published in Dawn said the outstanding money against the former ministers totaled over Rs7.3 million and despite being issued notices by the KP Assembly Secretariat and general administration department, the defaulters had yet to clear the dues. They said arrears from MPAs, who had used the hostel, had been recovered. “If they (former ministers) fail to clear the dues, then the KP Assembly Secretariat will approach the Election Commission of Pakistan in the next few days for their recovery,” said a senior official. He said the Secretariat had served two notices to those ex-ministers but they did not reply. According to the list, former minister for industries and commerce Samiullah Khan Alizai, who belongs to Pakistan People’s Party, topped list of the defaulters and dues against him stood at Rs1,517,000 followed by former minister for labour from Bannu district Sher Azam Khan Wazir, who has to clear Rs1,385,575 dues. Former minister for higher education Qazi Mohammad Asad Khan, who is from Haripur district stood third in the list as the outstanding amount of money against him totals Rs1,386,700. Former minister for Zakat and Ushr Zarshid Khan is to clear Rs1,378,275 dues. The official said the cabinet members were not entitled to get accommodation in the hostel under the rules but even then, rooms were allotted to them and they were used by their relatives, friends or assistants. The official said provincial ministers were allotted official residences and in case of unavailability of accommodations, they are paid Rs40,000 house rent per month. He said the KP Assembly Secretariat had issued notices to those ministers in the past to vacate rooms, but they refused to comply. According to the list, Rs104,000 is to be paid by former minister for excise and taxation Liaquat Ali Shabab; Rs37,000 by former minister for irrigation Pervez Khattak, who has now joined Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf; Rs31,000 by former minister for population welfare Saleem Khan; Rs679,000 by former information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain; Rs35,200 by former minister for Auqaf, Hajj, religious affairs and minorities Nimroz Khan; Rs75,900 by former minister for mineral development and technical education Mehmood Zaib Khan; Rs44,800 by former minister for housing Malik Amjad Afridi; Rs18,600 by former minister for environment Wajid Ali Khan, and Rs29,400 by former minister for livestock, dairy development and cooperation Hidayatullah Khan. The only woman minister in the erstwhile 24-strong cabinet, Sitara Ayaz, who held the portfolio of special education and women empowerment, is also defaulter of Rs9,600. The official said the room was allotted in the hostel in her name to another person. He said former senior minister Rahimdad Khan, who held portfolios of the planning, development, energy and power, had occupied room for his principal staff officer, Zahir Shah Toru, and dues against him were Rs10,800. The list shows that former federal minister for state and frontier regions Najmuddin Khan was also allotted a room in the hostel but he has yet to clear Rs37,000 dues. Sources said former minister for science and technology Ayub Khan Ashari had cleared total outstanding dues of Rs420,000.  ]]>