Minister says NAB likely to probe corruption in mega projects

NOWSHERA: Caretaker Transport Minister Shahid Khan Khattak on Sunday said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) would soon reopen an investigation into alleged corruption in three mega projects implemented during the almost 10-year rule of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in KP.

“The NAB will reopen the investigation into Bus Rapid Transit [BRT], Malam Jabba land scandal and Billion Tree Tsunami Project after getting the stay vacated from the court,” said the minister while talking to reporters.

The minister said Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan and other members of the cabinet would write to the investigation agencies to look into the alleged corruption done in the BRT, Billion Tree Tsunami and other mega development schemes. “This is a must to make tainted people accountable,” said the minister.

Coming down hard on the PTI after accusing it of ruining the KP economy, the minister said corruption was done in almost all mega projects. Citing one such example, he alleged the BRT Project contract was awarded to a firm that had already been blacklisted.

Shahid Khattak alleged that corruption was done as well in the development projects carried out by the PTI government in the Nowshera district. He alleged that the project to construct an embankment around the Kabul River was hit by corruption and suggested that the investigation agencies should launch a probe into this and other similar projects.

The minister said the previous PTI government recruited 5000 youths as trolls in its Social Media Wing with funds from the exchequer. “Each troll received Rs25,000 for going after the PTI opponents. These trolls would sit at homes and receive the salaries from the public exchequer only to launch slanderous campaigns against the PTI critics,” he alleged.

Hitting out at the economic policies of the past PTI government in the province, Shahid Khattak said KP was under Rs 9 billion debt before the advent of the PTI rule. “But the province’s debt swelled to Rs1000 billion under the PTI rule. The past rulers should be held accountable for this roaring debt,” he added.

The minister complained of a lack of cooperation from the bureaucracy. “The bureaucracy has remnants of the PTI which is not obeying the directives of the caretaker government,” he alleged adding no doubt good public servants were there as well.

Shahid Khattak flayed the PTI Chairman Imran Khan alleging that he kept on changing his so-called political narrative to mislead the masses. “He introduced slur in politics,” said the minister.