Alleged embezzlement in funds: Inquiry officer visits New Balakot City Housing Project

MANSEHRA: The district and sessions judge, who was appointed an inquiry officer by the chief justice of Pakistan against the alleged embezzlement in the financial assistance extended by international community for 2005 earthquake survivors, on Monday visited New Balakot City Housing Project.

The judge, Mohammad Zeb Khan, was accompanied by the social activist Shiraz Mehmood Qureshi, on whose application the CJP had taken suo moto notice last month. Assistant Commissioner Abdul Rehman and representatives of police and Communication and Works Department were there as well.

The apex court in its first hearing held on March 26 nominated the district and sessions judge of Mansehra as an inquiry officer. It finalised terms of reference and also issued notices to attorney general, advocate general and chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to appear in the court on the next hearing along with record of financial assistance extended by the international community for the rehabilitation and its spending.

The court also directed district and sessions judge to inspect New Balakot City Housing Project meant for the settling the red zone survivors and reconstruction of King Abdullah Teaching Hospital. Both the projects are being executed in Mansehra.

Brigadier (Retd) Zafar briefed district and sessions judge and others about the current status of the New Balakot City.The judge also raised some questions about the delay in the completion of this project and financial spending on it.

He revealed that he was going to hear embezzlement and other complains of earthquake survivors, local government representatives, public and media representatives on April 9 at the district courts.

Shiraz Mehmood Qureshi, who had moved apex court seeking suo moto notice, told the apex court that the government had received over $ 5 billion financial assistance from international community but money was embezzled and survivors were spending a miserable life.