November 7, 2002	Thursday	Ramazan 1,1423

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DERA GHAZI KHAN, Nov 6: The Naib Nazim of Dera Ghazi Khan tehsil has levelled charges of corruption against his immediate boss.

Naib Nazim Hafiz Khalid Rauf arranged a press conference at his residence to unveil the alleged misdeeds of Tehsil Nazim Aasim Zubair Khosa. He told reporters that the Nazim had made provisional payments to contractors for at least 54 development schemes illegally and without permission of the house. He alleged that tehsil Nazim had obtained Rs3.5 million from contractors for the election campaigns of Farooq Leghari, Awais Leghari, Yousaf Leghari, Aleem Shah and his relative Javed Lond.

He alleged that the Nazim had submitted tenders for 169 schemes without the due process of law and permission of the house to oblige his cronies and get votes. Tehsil Nazim Aasim Zubair Khosa, cousin of former Punjab governor and Punjab PML(N) chief Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, allocated around Rs40 million for the annual development programme and earmarked half of that amount for his own union council. Naib Nazim Hafiz Khalid Rauf alleged that the Nazim did not issue any funds to members of the opposition.

He alleged that the tehsil Nazim had awarded the contract of cattle market at a loss to benefit a relative. The Rs19.3 million contract was awarded for Rs14.5 million. The Naib Nazim accused the Nazim of making one million rupees in the deal.

He further disclosed that the Rs7.5 million property tax contract was awarded for Rs2.5 million. Mr Rauf alleged that the Nazim made Rs500,000 in the deal while inflicting a loss of five million rupees to the tehsil government.

Tax on edibles had earlier been a subject of district government which had fixed the tax on 18 items and gave away the contract for its collection for Rs950,000. The authority was later transferred to the tehsil government which imposed the tax on 62 items but gave away the contract for just one million rupees making half a million rupees and inflicting a loss of three million rupees to the exchequer.

He alleged that the tehsil Nazim issued a cheque for Rs1.5 million for ‘Mela Jamhooriat’. However, only Rs50,000 were spent on the festival while the rest of the amount went into the pockets of Tehsil Nazim, he added.

The Naib Nazim demanded a high-level probe into the matter.