The curious case of Senator Kalsoom Parveen

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator from Balochistan, Kalsoom Parveen, has admitted casting vote for opposition alliance. She is one of major characters who facilitated some criminal elements in Pakistan and dubious a Chinese company by issuing them fake letters in order to make Multan Metro Bus project scandalous, a plan which was later completely exposed as a plot to engineer 2018 general elections.

Documents available with The News reveal that Senator Kalsoom Parveen not only facilitated the Chinese company and its partners in Pakistan to manage the forged documents but she even tried to arrange a meeting between the owner of fraudulent Chinese company and Chief Minister Punjab during the latter’s visit to China in May 2017. However, the meeting could not take place after the Chief Minister refused.

Senator Kulsoom through her personal secretary wrote an email to Commercial Consular Pakistan Embassy in China Dr Erfa Iqbal on May 11, 2017 which says, “Chief Minister Punjab is proceeding to China in order to attend “One Belt One Road” Summit in Beijing and Road Show in Tianjin on May 16 and 17, 2017, in order to explore the potential in Punjab province and to meet directly with the Chief Minister. As a representative of Balochistan I also want to participate in opening ceremony and “Punjab Road Show”. You are requested to please register the availability of following in both events. 1. Senator Kalsoom Parveen 2, Salman Iqbal 3, Lu Young”. The next day i.e. May 12, 2017 Commercial Consular of Pakistan Embassy in China Dr. Erfa Iqbal responded to Senator Kalsoom Parveen’s email, “Ms Kalsoom Parveen, it is a pleasure to receive your email. You are already registered for May 17 Punjab Roadshow in Tianjin. However for meeting with the CM, kindly approach CM office.”

Later, Senator Kalsoom Perveen’s request for holding meeting with Chief Minister Punjab was turned down and resultantly she cancelled her visit to China. However, the person whom Senator Kalsoom Perveen referred to for meeting with CM visited China during the same time period.

The News had contacted Senator Kalsoom Parveen earlier in September 2017 and asked if she wrote any email for her visit to China with Chief Minister’s delegation. Initially, she categorically denied but when this scribe read her email she said she had plan to visit China; however, due to some personal engagements she cancelled her visit.

When Senator Kalsoom Parveen was approached by this scribe to know her point of view about casting her vote against the party candidate and her role in Multan Metro Bus scandal, she said that she is not answerable to this scribe and would not respond to any query of this scribe. When asked about Salman Iqbal’s statement she said she has no idea about anything.

A well-placed source informed The News that the same email of Senator Kalsoom Parveen become the reason of arresting Salman Iqbal who later confessed that they prepared the fake and forged letters.

The source said that Salman Iqbal confessed that Senator Kalsoom Perveen sent her personal secretary along with him to Foreign Office to get these “fake and forged” letters attested. He claimed that this could be proved through CCTV footage of Foreign Office that who was along with him for attestation of these “fake” documents. He further confessed that Chief Minister’s letter was downloaded from Google and later through Photoshop the text was pasted and printed.

This scribe had visited the Foreign Office to confirm whether the attestation of the letter is genuine or fake. The Foreign Office attestation department confirmed that the attestation is genuine. When this scribe asked to meet the person whose stamp has been used to attest these documents, he was informed that the person who attested these documents was retired in June 2017.

Interestingly, Senator Kalsoom Parveen in her letter of appreciation for the Chinese company also claimed that the Chinese company is also working on Bolari Air Base project.

The Senator’s letter says, “Shandong Yabaite Technology Co. Ltd as a subsidiary wholly owned by Jiangsu Yabaite Technology Co. Ltd signed the construction contract for Multan Metro Bus Project on December 2014 with Capital Engineering and Construction Co Ltd Pakistan and was subcontracted for work in Multan Metro Bus Project. We appreciate Yabaite for doing such great job.”

“However, because the project work and other related work to Bholari Air Base is involved with the military secrets, except for the information by our consent to release, no other details in relation to the project are allowed to be disclosed by Shandong Yabaite Technology Co. Ltd or any of its affiliated companies,” Senator Kalsoom Parveen’s letter says.

This scribe had contacted the official spokesperson of Pakistan Air Force on August 29, 2017 to confirm whether Yabaite is working on Bolari Air Base or not. However, after two or three days the Air Force spokesperson responded no such company with the name of Yabaite is working on Bolari Air Base project.

When contacted PML-N senior leader Senator Mushahidullah Khan said they are holding an inquiry into this matter and the party will take action against those who violated the party rules. To a question about her involvement in the Multan Metro Bus Project, Senator Mushahidullah said he cannot comment on this issue.