Fire hits Umerkot municipal office ahead of NAB hearing

Published April 27, 2015
Police were looking into the cause of the fire and extent of the damage caused by it, said Umerkot SHO.—Reuters/File
Police were looking into the cause of the fire and extent of the damage caused by it, said Umerkot SHO.—Reuters/File

UMERKOT: A mysterious fire on Saturday night partially damaged the five-year record of the Umerkot Municipal Committee (UMC) a day before a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team from Karachi was scheduled to arrive in connection with a corruption case against certain UMC officials.

The Karachi NAB had started an investigation after a complainant, Kirshan Khatri, claimed misappropriation of large amounts released to various contractors out of the Rs12 billion funds put at the disposal of the UMC, previously known as the taluka municipal administration. It was claimed that payments had been made to contractors against work that had never been carried out. It was also alleged that several development schemes were revised in violation of the prescribed rules.

The NAB team had asked the officials concerned to appear before it on Monday along with the financial record pertaining to the allocation for uplift schemes and expenditure over the last five years.

Also read: NAB arrests KP additional home sec, two others in Rs50* *millon scam

Chief Municipal Officer Ameer Bukhsh Junejo said on Sunday that a fire broke out due to electrical short circuit while the staff was sorting out the record in preparation for the investigation. Although the record was damaged, the files sought by the NAB team were intact, he claimed.

Police were looking into the cause of the fire and extent of the damage caused by it, said Umerkot SHO Atta Mohammed Leghari.

Lal Malhi, the MNA belonging to the PTI, however, alleged that evidence of corruption had been destroyed and demanded an inquiry into the “deliberately caused” fire. He argued that the fire caused no other damage to the office except for the record “sought by the NAB”.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.