Ehtesab Commission takes notice of corruption charges against Gulalai

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission on Friday took notice of the allegations of corruption and embezzlement in development schemes by private secretary of lawmaker Ayesha Gulalai against her.

Official sources told The News that the Ehtesab Commission took notice of the complaint by one Noor Wali, the private secretary to MNA Ayesha Gulalai, who claimed that she had embezzled funds in the schemes. He had requested the Ehtesab Commission to probe the matter.

Ayesha Gulalai had earlier denied the accusations and made it clear that Noor Wali or Noor Zaman wasn’t her assistant or private secretary.

The sources said the Ehtesab Commission had asked private secretary Noor Wali to provide proofs about the alleged corruption by Ayesha Gulalai in the development schemes completed through the funds issued in her name for the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Besides, other PTI workers close to the MNA also accused her of misappropriating funds in the schemes approved in her name.

Interestingly, the PTI leadership and close party workers started making allegations of corruption against the party’s dissident lawmaker after she quit the party and accused PTI chairman Imran Khan of sending her inappropriate messages.

Three women lawmakers submitted resolution in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Thursday, demanding punishment for Imran Khan in accordance with Islamic law.

MPAs Aamna Sardar, Sobia Shahid and Ruqia Hina submitted a joint resolution at the provincial assembly’s secretariat, saying the PTI chairman had adopted an uncivilised and derogatory attitude towards Ayesha Gulalai and thus breached the honour of the people of the province.

It said that Imran Khan should be punished under the Sharia law and Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

MPA Sobia Shahid said that once Ayesha Gulalai’s allegation of harassment surfaced, Imran Khan was no more “sadiq” (truthful) and “amin” (honest).

On the other hand, there is also threat to the MNA and her family members as the special assistant to the KP chief minister Malik Shah Mohammad Khan has announced that Ayesha Gulalai and her father will be provided an opportunity to appear before a tribal jirga in Bannu to prove her allegations against Imran Khan. Otherwise, he warned that their house would be demolished.

Malik Shah Mohammad reportedly said that he had approached the elders of Utmanzai, a major tribe of North Waziristan Agency, Bannu and its adjacent Frontier Region, to convene the jirga immediately.

He said Ayesha Gulalai and her father Shamsul Qayyum Wazir would be invited to the jirga to plead their case.

“The jirga will support the MNA and her family if she presents evidence against Imran Khan,” he said. He added that if Ayesha Gulalai failed to produce credible evidence, the jirga would make a decision on the matter in accordance with tribal traditions.

He also said that Imran Khan always gave respect to women workers and leaders.

Meanwhile, the ANP women wing members staged a rally in favour of Ayesha Gulalai in Peshawar and demanded judicial probe of the allegations levelled by her against the PTI chairman.