PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami provincial chief Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, while terming the Bus Rapid Transit project mega corruption scandal, said the multibillion rupees project had ruined the economy and culture of the provincial capital.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he said the JI would convene a multiparty conference in Peshawar on April 12 to discuss implications of the BRT. He said cost of the project had increased enormously and total 25,000 trees and plants had been destroyed.

He said the provincial government had spent Rs6 billion on beautification of the city before launching the BRT project. He said greenbelts developed along the main roads were destroyed.

He said the provincial inspection team had reservations over the project and there were reports of Rs7 billion kickbacks in the project. He said the project had affected privacy of the residents due to flaws in design.

Senator Mushtaq said NAB should probe the project in light of the report of inspection team, and also initiate investigations against former chief minister Pervez Khattak and other responsible officials.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2019