LAHORE, June 18: The Punjab government has alleged that the former chief secretary, along with nine other secretaries, has been establishing their business in the form of Imax theatre at state expenses.

Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, Adviser to Chief Minister on Information Pervaiz Rashid said the former provincial government had set up the Punjab Entertainment Company in the private sector instead of making it a public limited company, declaring 10 secretaries as members of its board of directors.

They included former chief secretary Salman Siddique, former information secretary Taimur Azmat Usman, ex-P&D chairman Salman Ghani, Rana Khan Manzoor, Ikhlaq Ahmad Tarar, Muhammad Sami Saeed, Sibtain Fazle Haleem, Javed Aslam, Javaid Majeed and Saeed Alvi.

He said being directors, the secretaries, after retirement, would have become owners of the assets of the company.

Pointing out other irregularities in the entertainment project whose construction on Doongi Ground in Gulberg, Lahore, was stayed by the pre-emergency Supreme Court, Rashid said the provincial authorities instead of opening the L/C issued a cheque worth Rs150 million to the foreign company responsible for providing equipment to the theatre.

He said the staff for the project had also been hired against extraordinary attractive packages while numerous vehicles ranging up to 2800cc costlier jeeps were also given to the management even though the project had not yet taken any concrete shape.

He announced formation of an inquiry committee to fix responsibility for the irregularities, but did not give names of its members, saying the chief minister was busy finalising the names.

Rashid said as a huge sum of public money had been invested in the theatre project, it was not being closed.

However, the plan for its commercial plaza was being scrapped and the civil works so far done (up to the ground level) on the site would be used for establishing a research library there.

The rooftop and rest of the park would be converted into a public park, he added.