Where were Rs200m given to local govt by ex-PM spent?

CHITRAL: District Bar Association (DBA) president Khurshid Hussain Mughal has demanded an investigation into the utilization of Rs200 million grant approved by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for the local government of Chitral in 2016.

During his visit to Chitral on Sept 7, 2016, the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif on the request of district nazim Maghfirat Shah announced the grant of Rs200 million for the district government.

Later, when Mr Sharif was ousted from power, the amount was released by his successor Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, he added. Mr Sharif had said the amount should be spent on the welfare of the people of Chitral.

“But it is now learnt that the 20 coror rupees have already been spent through the Public Works Department (PWD). But the people of Chitral would like to know on what projects this amount was utilized,” he asked.

There are lots of issues being faced by the people of Chitral such as lack of water for drinking and irrigation purposes but nobody knows when and how the special grant was spent and for which purpose.

Mr Mughal also said many people in Chitral were surprised over the mysterious silence of the former district nazim Maghfirat Shah about the utilization of the amount.

He said a delegation of the DBA was scheduled to meet the chief justice of Pakistan and the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Islamabad in October and would take up the issue with them.

He said the delegation would request the NAB chairman to order an investigation into the possible embezzlement of the Rs200 million and action against the responsible. He said those involved in the utilization or misuse of such a huge public amount without the knowledge of the people should be exposed and brought to justice.

 

Reporting: Bashir Hussain Azad