RAWALPINDI: Civic facilities are in shambles in some densely populated areas of the city allegedly because the major portion of the provincial government development funds went to improving life in the NA-52 constituency of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

“Streets and roads are in bad shape, drains are choked, streetlights don’t work, and clean drinking water is not available in Chah Sultan, Raja Bazaar, Pirwadhai, Gowalmandi and other localities of the city,” local PTI MPA Arif Abbasi told Dawn, claiming that “for the Punjab government, Rawalpindi city is limited to NA-52, which is basically rural area”.

Punjab government provided Rs1.775 billion to Rawalpindi Development Authority and the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) for development schemes in 10 union councils of NA-52.

It will provide an additional Rs1.275 billion for improving the three roads serving the constituency. Work on the Airport Road from Ammar Chowk to Karal Chowk, Adiala Road and the Chaudhry Bostan Khan Road from Chaklala Scheme-III to the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court will start by the end of this month.

Former PML-N MNA says Sheikh Rashid, others also accomodated relatives as nazims

Eight other PML-N legislators representing the city received only Rs10 million each for similar civic development in their constituencies, according to the opposition leader.

MPA Arif Abbasi alleged that NA-55 and NA-56 were being ignored by the Punjab government because they returned Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid to the National Assembly in the 2013 general elections. He noted that Chaudhry Nisar represented the rural area of Rawalpindi while Imran Khan represented the urban area.

“They (the Punjab government) did not even consider the recommendation made for the improvement of my leader’s constituency NA-56 and my own PP-13. As a result, our area wears the look of a village instead,” he said.

Former PML-N MNA from the city, Malik Shakil Awan, however, defended the money spent in Chaudhry Nisar’s rural constituency, saying the Punjab government wanted to improve living conditions in the city areas neglected during the tenure of PML-Q.

“Sheikh Rashid and Raja Basharat, who were ministers during the era of Pervez Musharraf, divided the city in two towns - Rawal and Potohar - to accommodate their relatives as town nazims and included some union councils in urban areas,” he said.

“As a result, residents of these areas suffered a lot. They paid extra taxes but got nothing in return. Chaudhry Nisar has tried to improve the condition of the areas ignored in the past,” he added.

It was not true to say that NA-55 and NA-56 were ignored by the Punjab government, he said, pointing to Rs44.21 billion Metro Bus Project which will also serve the residents of these constituencies

Malik Awan disclosed that more funds would be provided to these areas and all the work would be conducted by the Punjab government through different departments.

Commissioner Rawalpindi and RDA Chairman Zahid Saeed said the Punjab government approved the improving of Airport Road, Adiala Road and Bostan Khan Road in view of their “significance”.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2014