September 01, 2008	Monday	Sha'aban 29, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Aug 31: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has sought an inquiry into alleged large-scale financial irregularities committed in the National Highway Authority (NHA) during the tenure of the previous regime.

“PML-N believes that NHA was a hub of corruption during Pervez Musharraf’s government which needs proper investigation by a high-level committee,” said PML-N Senior Vice-President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi.

In a statement, Mr Hashmi said there was hardly any project of the authority in which financial irregularities were not committed. Corruption, he said, should be rooted out from the NHA to ensure rapid development.

The PML-N leader alleged that during Musharraf’s regime, NHA was being directly controlled by the President’s Camp Office-II. He described various appointments made during 2002 to 2007 as misuse of authority. He said many appointments in BPS-17 to 20 seemed to have been made in haste and in violation of all rules and regulations.

To substantiate his allegations, Mr Hashmi said a brother-in-law of Tariq Aziz, former secretary general of the National Security Council, was only a BPS-18 officer of the Punjab government but he was brought to the NHA on deputation as general manager (NHA Punjab Region) in grade-20 for five years.

Another close relative of Tariq Aziz was also appointed in NHA in grade-20. The concerned employee, Chaudhry Khalid Nasim, was only a store keeper in the Civil Aviation Authority.

Mr Hashmi demanded a probe into the cases of the two employees.

Not only this, some employees showing satisfactory performance were sacked because of what the PML-N leader said ulterior motives. He said even the former communication minister Shamim Siddiqui accepted the request of the affected employees and directed that they should be reinstated. But those young officers are still without jobs.

He said he would raise the issue of these affected workers in the National Assembly session if they were not restored.

Mr Hashmi also spoke of the Shershah Bridge collapse, holding the NHA responsible for it. He demanded that an investigation should be held into the collapse of the bridge only a few weeks after its inauguration.