ISLAMABAD: An accused in Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) corruption reference has turned approver against the programme’s former chairperson Farzana Raja.

The accused Salman Khalid filed an application with the accountability court seeking instruction to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman for giving him pardon on account of his consent to become approver in this case against the other accused.

The deceased Controller General of Accounts Khurram Humayun was also an accused in this case, but his name will be deleted since he has expired.

Khalid said in the application that he was ready to testify as witness in this case.

The accountability court has scheduled to indict the accused on Feb 15.

The 32-page reference against the Pakistan People’s Party leader and others, taken up by the accountability court, stated that a complaint was received in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which alleged that the BISP awarded contracts to advertising agencies in 2009-10 and 2010-11 in violation of the Public Procurement Rules (PPR), 2004.

It was further alleged that Rs1.657 billion was awarded to one advertising agency, Midas (Private) Limited.

The competent authority authorised an inquiry on May 23, 2014 which was subsequently upgraded into investigation.

It further said that the evidence collected during the investigation had established that Ms Raja and others being public office holders pre-qualified advertising agencies in 2009 and awarded the media campaign of the BISP in violation of the PPR, 2004 as well as PID guidelines and released media payments against the alleged exaggerated fake bills submitted by the suspects and committed the offence of corruption and corrupt practices.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2021