PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party has expressed its concern over the decision of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to abolish the KP Ehtesab Commission and asked for making public the details about reasons for this step and the future of dozens of corruption cases which are under process.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Friday, QWP provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao also demanded fixing of responsibility as to why a huge amount of one billion rupees was wasted on setting up of the Ehtesab commission.

Flanked by party’s secretary information Tariq Khan, secretary political training Asad Afridi and Dr Alam, Sikandar Sherpao said that the Ehtesab commission had been established by the previous Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government while calling it the best anti-graft body in the country.

Sikandar Sherpao calls for probe into ‘wastage’ of Rs1bn on the commission

He said that the provincial cabinet in its recent meeting had decided to wind up KPEC by showing serious reservations about its poor performance. He said that QWP opposed the establishment of KPEC in the presence of National Accountability Bureau and recommended several amendments in its law, but the previous government did not pay heed.

He said that Rs1billion had been spent on KPEC and asked the provincial government to explain spending such a huge amount of funds on non-performing anti-graft body. “We will move a court of law against the government if it does not answer these questions about KPEC,” he warned.

The QWP provincial chairman alleged that the government had used the accountability watchdog to defame its political opponents despite its poor performance since its establishment.

He said that no step was taken to restructure the National Accountability Bureau, but even then the provincial government decided to transfer the cases pending with KPEC to it.

He appealed to Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar to take suo motu notice of the provincial government’s decision to abolish KPEC and ask it about wastage of the public money.

Sikandar Sherapo also criticised the incumbent federal government for its plan to increase gas tariff by 45 per cent and electricity by Rs2 per unit. He recalled that Federal Finance Minister Asad Umar had called indirect taxation as regressive step, which would have negative impact on the country’s economy.

Talking about the 100-day plan of the PTI-led government, he called it as only lip service, saying that masses would not trust their hollow slogans anymore.

He said that the PTI leadership was plundering the masses in the name of change and the high increase in the prices of gas and electricity was one such example of the negative attitude of their government.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2018