SHC seeks hiring records of civic bodies, PA secretariat since 2000

The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed the provincial law officer to submit para-wise comments and details of the appointments made in the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the Sindh Assembly secretariat since the year 2000.

The direction came on a petition filed by Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmaker Afshan Mansoor who sought inquiry regarding alleged corruption committed in construction of the new assembly building, the MPA hostel’s new building and illegal appointments in the Sindh Assembly secretariat.

She submitted that the project of the new Sindh Assembly building was approved in violation of all the relevant rules and regulations, while the cost of construction for the MPA’s hostel was building had been increased from Rs2700 million to Rs11,400 million. For the purpose, she said Rs6720 million had been paid to the contractor as the half payment despite non-completion of 50 percent of the project.

The lawmaker alleged that the finance department was allocating funds and the accountant general department was making payments to the contractors without any objections. She said a massive corruption had been committed in the construction of the new MPA hostel’s building.

She said illegal appointments and out-of-turn promotions were made in the Sindh Assembly secretariat in violation of the orders of the Supreme Court. The court was requested to conduct an inquiry into the alleged corruption committed in construction of the new assembly building, the residential secretariat of the Sindh Assembly speaker and deputy speaker buildings, and the under-construction MPA hostel as well as illegal appointments in the Sindh assembly secretariat.

The provincial law officer sought time to file comments on the petition as well as direction of the court that sought details of the appointments made in the KWSB, the KDA, the SBCA and the Sindh Assembly secretariat since the year 2000.

The SHC’s division bench, headed by chief justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, granted time to the provincial law officer and directed him to file comments on the petition at the next date of hearing.