PESHAWAR: At the fag end of the tenure of the coalition government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Jamaat-i-Islami in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the latter has opened a barrage of allegations of corruption against Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.

Asif Luqman Qazi, political adviser to Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq, demanded Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar order an inquiry into the matters related to seven projects and departments, said a statement issued to Dawn on Monday.

“These seven departments and projects are badly damaged by corruption, mismanagement and nepotism on part of the chief minister,” said Luqman Qazi, who is also the elder son of the former party chief, the late Qazi Hussain Ahmad.

He said the Bus Rapid Transit project was ill conceived project that had caused billions of rupees losses to the exchequer due to loopholes in the design. He said that frequent changes in the design of the project had given opportunities to the contractors, the ‘cronies’ of the party (PTI) leadership, to exploit the project funds.

JI chief’s adviser seeks SC order for inquiry into CM’s corruption, nepotism

Mr Qazi drew the attention of the Supreme Court chief justice towards the alleged corruption in Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation and insisted that the interference of a PTI leader had compelled the Pedo’s management to hire hundreds of officers against huge salary and perks and thus, compromising the department’s performance and financial strength.

He demanded investigation into the PTI government’s Billion Tree Tsunami afforestation project saying it has become controversial due to the false claims and exaggeration on the part of the party leadership.

JI chief’s adviser alleged that hundreds of party activists were given opportunity to make money through fake bills.

“The alleged corruption, nepotism and mismanagement have marred the KP Economic Zones Development and Management Company, which was established to develop special economic zones in the province for industrialisation. Hundreds of the relatives of PTI leadership were hired against huge salary but the performance of the department has so far been nil,” he said, adding that the party’s favourites drew more than Rs500 million in ‘safeties’ alone other than perks.

He said the government spent Rs34 billion on the construction of flood retaining wall along the Kabul River but no quantitative audit of the project was conducted.

“A large part of stones were simply dumped into the river by a ring of the chief minister’s near and dear ones, who were miraculously successful in securing bids,” he said.

Mr Qazi said financial scams had already been reported in the mining and minerals department and that a provincial minister had disclosed the nepotism and corruption of the chief minister in the mining sector.

He said the chief minister had appointed his nephew, Zarak Khattak, as the executive engineer in the communication and works department in Nowshera district (CM’s hometown) and that most funds were siphoned off under his stewardship.

He said that KP Ehtesab Commission didn’t act against Mr Khattak and that it had been functioning without head for few years.

He said the KPEC’s director general had resigned after leveling serious allegations against the CM.

When contacted, spokesman for the chief minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai denied all allegations against Mr Khattak.

He wondered the JI leaders had seeing corruption in development projects after remaining quite satisfied with governance for more than four years.

“Qazi Luqman does not have a political career. He is the most incompetent person in the party,” he said.

The spokesman said if the chief minister was corrupt, then why the JI ministers didn’t quit the coalition government.

“We have got lots of evidence against them (JI leaders). It is better for them (JI) to keep quiet,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2018