ATTOCK, Feb 13: Local leaders and activists of Pakistan People’s Party have planned to stage a protest  demonstration on the occasion of Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Shairf's visit to Hazro tehsil here on Thursday (today) against alleged financial irregularities in development projects in the area.

This was confirmed by PPP leader Naeem Awan  while talking to this correspondent on phone on Wednesday. He said that over 500 PPP activists would participate in the protest rally to be taken out at 9:00am from Hazro city on Thursday.

He said that the protesters would reach the venue of Punjab CM’s public meeting  at government housing scheme ground. Mr Naeem, who is also PPP candidate from PP-16 Attock-II for coming general election, said that through their protest they wanted to draw the attention of CM and other high government functionaries towards the alleged financial irregularities in development schemes of Hazro tehsil.

Mr Awan said that Rs180 million had been spent recently on construction of tehsil headquarters hospital building, but due to use of substandard material its roofs had started leaking during rains. He also alleged mismanagement in construction of sports stadium in Hazro and said that its tube-well had been lying faulty.

The PPP leader said that Rs20 million was spent on construction of Rangu police station, but some high-profile kidnappers easily broke its window recently and escaped.

He alleged that billions of rupees financial irregularities and corruption had been committed in other development schemes in Hazro tehsil during the last five-year tenure of Punjab government. “We will not remain silent over wastage of large-scale public funds,” he said.

The PPP leader said that being responsible citizens he and his  party  activists had decided to stage a protest demonstration during the chief minister’s visit so that a proper investigation into the alleged corruption could be launched.

Answering a question, Mr Awan said that it was their political right to expose mismanagement in development projects in their area and hoped that the administration would cooperate with them.

PML-N MPA Shujah Khanzada could not be contacted for comments on the issue as his mobile phone was switched off. Meanwhile, sources said that reports of the PPP protest rally during Mr Sharif’s visit had put the district administration in difficult situation and it was making efforts to convince the PPP leaders to cancel their protest, at least for the time being. They said that the administration had also planned to keep the protesters away from the venue of the public meeting.