PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s standing committee on the administration has recommended investigation into the distribution of Rs1.33 billion among mosques in Mardan on the directives of former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti.

The committee in its detailed report jointly recommended that the KP Ehtesab Commission should conduct inquiry into the distribution of funds to mosques and take action against persons allegedly involved in financial irregularities.

The report, which was circulated in the assembly on Friday, said Rs1.33 billion was distributed among 5,620 mosques and seminaries in Mardan for repairs and maintenance between 2008 and 2013.

Mardan is hometown of former chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti. Currently, he heads the provincial chapter of the Awami National Party.

“Irregularities have been detected in the distribution of money. For example, some mosques and seminaries did not receive full amount, some were given more amount, while some received much less than the approved amount,” the committee said in its observations.

It further said the proper PC-1 was not made for the distribution of funds. The amount was distributed without following formal procedure and the records were not available.

PA body says anomalies detected as funds given out on orders of ex-CM Hoti

The amount was drawn through cross cheque. It was deposited in others bank accounts instead of project leaders.

The document said the deputy commissioner of Mardan had distributed the amount on the directives of Ameer Haider Khan Hoti.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA from Mardan Iftikhar Ali Mashwani had moved a question regarding distribution of funds in the assembly in Jan 2015.

The house had referred the question to the nine-member standing committee. The mover had claimed irregularities in the distribution of funds.

The MPA claimed that several mosques and seminaries in the districts did not receive funds.

In addition, he claimed that the fund was utilised for ‘personal gains’.

The lawmaker also provided a list of local seminaries and mosques, which didn’t receive funds though their names were included in the list.

The then secretary administration, Ahmad Hanif, had informed the committee that the finance department on the directives of the chief minister (Hoti) had released Rs1335.352 million to deputy commissioner Mardan between 2008 and 2013 for maintenance and repair of mosques and seminaries. He said the money was utilised through project committees.

Deputy commissioner Shahidullah Khan informed the committee that the money was released to the mosques and seminaries by cross cheques and that the committee could conduct inquiry into it if the need arose.

The report said deputy commissioner Imran Hamid told the committee on May 2, 2016 that funds were distributed through different project leaders, without following proper mechanism.

Assistant advocate general Arshad Ahmad had informed the committee that official funds had been distributed without following the set procedures. “Ehtesab Commission can conduct inquiry,” the report quoted Mr. Ahmad as saying.

Earlier, the house referred several questions to the committees concerned. These questions were related to public health engineering department.

Two questions were referred to the privilege committee after the department concerned failed to give answers.

Speaker Asad Qaisar chaired the sitting.

Adviser to the chief minister on information Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani came down heavily on ministers, advisers and administrative secretaries for not giving reply to questions.

“The attitude of ministers and secretaries concerned is embarrassing us (government) in the house,” he said, requesting the chair to refer the matter to the privilege committee. The treasury benches were almost empty.

The PTI’s women lawmakers ended the sitting’s boycott after the speaker assured them that their grievances would be addressed.

The assembly passed a resolution asking the federal government to direct the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to block porn contents on smartphones.

The resolution said the Saudi government had already blocked such contents and web links.

Through another resolution, the house asked the federal government to include KP’s regional languages in addition to Pashto and Hindko in the next population census forms to give them identity.

It said more than 15 languages were spoken in KP.

The chair later adjourned the sitting until Feb 20.

Published in Dawn January 28th, 2017