PESHAWAR: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Ziaullah Afridi on Tuesday claimed that the Auditor General (AG) of Pakistan in its preliminary audit has pointed out billions of rupees of anomalies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, the lawmaker, who has quit the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and joined the PPP, claimed that the AG had traced Rs36 billion misappropriation in the province.
“This is an example of the poor performance of the PTI provincial government and scale of corruption in the province,” he went on to say.
He said that the AG would conduct the audit of a total of 1,352 departments and attached departments, adding the AG had so far completed the audit of just 111 departments and attached departments in the province.
“The AG would carry out the audit of Rs401.33 billion provided to all the concerned and attached departments. In its preliminary audit of Rs134.5 billion funds the AG has traced anomalies of Rs36 billion,” he charged.
Ziaullah Afridi said that Rs7 billion of the Rs36 billion were utilised in violation of the rules and regulations while Rs1.30 billion were embezzled.
The lawmaker further said that the AG also pointed out irregularities of Rs20.28 billion funds provided to various government departments as well.
He said the provincial government also failed to collect and recover Rs4.21 billion on various accounts while it failed to produce the record of Rs9 billion that where and how this money was spent.
The PPP leader said the PTI claimed to have spearheaded a campaign against corruption but its own government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa misappropriated billion of rupees meant for the projects of public welfare.
He said the PTI used the audit report to criticise the Punjab and Sindh provinces but kept a mum over the reports of the AG regarding the embezzlement of billions of rupees. “When the PTI chief Imran Khan would come forward and explain to the people about these anomalies,” he asked.
Ziaullah Afridi said that a corrupt man was made chief minister and others ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while incompetent people were appointed as heads of important government institutions who promoted corruption in the province. “Corruption is rampant in the province,” he alleged. He said the PTI government would be held accountable for all its wrongdoings.
