Embezzlement in Larkana City Project

SHC issues notices to Faryal Talpur, others

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices to PPP MNA Faryal Talpur, ex- Ratodero Nazim Shafqat Hussain Soomro, former law minister Ayaz Soomro and others on petition seeking inquiry over misappropriation and embezzlement of Rs12 billion funds allocated for development and beautification of Larkana city project.

Petitioner Bashir Ahmed, a resident of Larkana, submitted in the petition that after 2008 elections apart from other development schemes, development and beautification of Larkana city project has been announced for development work including roads, drainage lines in the city and Rs12 billions funds had been allocated for the project.

He alleged that roads and other development works were made without any proper planning and substandard material were used in the development project due to corruption by the respondents.

The petitioner pointed out that mostly reconstructed roads have destroyed in rains while several roads had got cracks at different places besides none of the roads of the Larkana city have been improved or widened.

He said that citizens of Larkana were facing hardship in shape of traffic jams, dust-polluted air, stagnant sewerage water on roads and frequent accidents.

He alleged that internal drains and roads have been made with substandard material and major portion of grant had been usurped and nobody has taken the pain to check the condition of Larkana city.

The court was prayed to order constitution of a committee based on honest town planners and other technical persons to probe into the misappropriation, ill-planning and embezzlement of public money of Larkana development project on large scale by   the respondents in the name of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

PPP women wing leader Faryal Talpur, who is also sister of party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, former town Nazim Dr. Shafqat Hussain Soomro, former law minister Ayaz Soomro, former DCO, Deputy Commissioner,  project director of the Larkana development project and others have been named as respondents in the petition.

It is pertinent to mention that petition was filed in January 2013 at Circuit bench Larkana but the matter could only be taken up for only one time at Larkana. The matter was subsequently transferred to SHC principal seat and notices were issued to respondents.