Criticising the Sindh government over allegedly committing massive corruption in RO (reverse osmosis) plants and patronising the dacoit gangs in upper Sindh, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Sindh leaders said on Thursday that instead of praising his party’s provincial government, Pakistan Peoples Party supremo Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should inquire his father about mismanagement and embezzlement in the Asia’s biggest water scheme.
Addressing a press conference at the Insaf House, PTI Karachi region president Khurram Sher Zaman and parliamentary leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Shaikh said the party had been exposing another corruption scandal where Rs33 billion of the taxpayer’s money was looted by Sindh’s rulers over the installation of RO plants.
Showing their dismay at the National Accountability Bureau not taking any notice of this mega corruption scandal, they said that RO plants’ project was initiated seven years ago and its cost had gone from Rs13 billion to Rs33 billion.
“Pak Oasis, the company that was awarded the contract, had to install 750 RO plants in three years, but only 578 plants were installed and 272 RO plants are missing,” said Zaman. He claimed that 90-95 per cent of these RO plants were out of order now.
The PTI leader also said the RO Plants installed in the Lyari and Keamari areas of Karachi were also non-functional. “The water board management is also involved in the mismanagement and corruption as tens of millions of rupees were given for the maintenance of these plants, but no record was maintained.”
He said all RO plants installed in the Thar region as well as in Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s constituency were also out of order. Zaman said 150 million rupees were spent on a single RO Plant and a similar amount was spent on operating maintenance, but all went into corruption. “Thirty-eight out of 40 RO plants installed in Manchar Lake are non-operational,” he said.
“A proper investigation must be carried out against former chief minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, finance minister and current CM Murad Ali Shah and all chief secretaries about this mega corruption and the installation of faulty water plants,” Zaman demanded.
He also demanded an investigation against all former and current ministers, including Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Sharjeel Memon, Owais Tappi and Jam Khan Shoro over alleged mega corruption.
He announced his party would approach NAB and the anti-corruption department over this issue, and demanded of the federal government to investigate the matter. “We also request the chief justice Pakistan to take suo moto notice of this very issue,” he added.
Patronage of dacoits
PTI leader Sheikh also criticised the PPP’s government for allegedly patronising dacoits, and said dacoits in upper Sindh were returning with force and some of them have released pictures of children showing arms.
“Now the Sindh government has a provincial police chief of their own wish. There are police officers who are awarding peace prizes to the dacoits,” he said. “Dacoits are roaming freely, consolidating power and taking people hostage in Katcha areas of the province, while PPP ministers are supporting them.”
After the 18th amendment, law and order is a provincial subject and therefore the Rangers have been limited to the Karachi city, he said and demanded that the Rangers should be given powers in the whole province to launch a crackdown on the dacoits because if this trend does not stop, there will be bloodshed in upper Sindh.