PESHAWAR: The Pakistan People’s Party on Friday expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission and accused Chief Minister Pervez Khattak of using it as a tool against political opponents.

PPP provincial information secretary Liaquat Shabab told a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club that he had moved the Peshawar High Court against the KPEC establishment and was confident to get it declared illegal.

He said several other bodies like National Accountability Bureau, FIA, anti-corruption department were active enough to check corruption and misuse of powers and therefore, there was no need for the establishment of the Ehtesab Commission.

Info secretary Shabab is hopeful high court will declare KPEC’s establishment illegal

Shabab said many suspects had formally named influential people for illegal mining in Nowshera but the KPEC had yet to arrest them as it went after only those, who were opposed to the chief minister.

He alleged that provincial excise and taxation minister Mian Jamshiduddin had illegally allowed relatives and staff members to use official vehicles but the Ehtesab Commission didn’t take notice of it.

The PPP leader showed registration numbers of the official vehicles in question.

He said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan had claimed before elections to bring about a change in the province’s governance system but his government had miserably failed to deliver and instead, it had begun victimising activists of political rivals by forming the Ehtesab Commission.

Shabab alleged that former mines and mineral development minister Ziaullah Afridi was arrested only because he was at odds with the chief minister, while the KPEC had taken him (Shabab) into custody for being his political opponent.

He claimed that Imran Khan was shouting false slogans of piety, good governance and anti-corruption measures as he had made Pervez Khattak of his party the chief minister of the province.

“The chief minister claims to be a clean and honest man but I can prove him a corrupt man if he has a manazra (live TV debate) with me,” he said.

The PPP leader said thousands of trucks loaded with nitrate were illegally transported to a cement factory in connivance with the government functionaries.

He asked the Ehtesab Commission not to arrest the people on the basis of anonymous complaints and stop misusing powers.

“I hope that the Peshawar High Court will declare the establishment of the Ehtesab Commission against the law and thus, ridding the people of this so-called anti-corruption body,” he said.

Shabab said the ruling PTI should fulfil its election commitments by initiating development work across the province to bring a real change in the people’s lives otherwise they (people) won’t vote for Imran Khan’s party in future.

“My next news conferences will be meant to prove that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak is supporting corrupt people and that he too is involved in corrupt practices,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2015

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