Water plants installed in Dunyapur on Shahbaz’s orders: former CEO

LAHORE: Former CEO of Saaf Pani Company Waseem Ajmal on Monday alleged that former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif’s orders were followed to install water filtration plants in Dunyapur tehsil of Lodhran district to get votes for the PML-N candidate in the December 2015 by-election against PTI’s Jahangir Tareen.

Waseem, who was serving as the Saaf Pani Company CEO, made the allegations before an accountability court where he and former chairman Qamarul Islam Raja were produced on the expiry of their physical remand.

The accountability court judge, Najam Ul Hassan, extended their physical remand for 14 days. The NAB officials presented them before the court in tight security after the expiry of time fixed for hearing, over which the judge expressed his dismay.

He questioned the NAB official what they want to show the people who are waiting for their hearings and about the performance of Bureau’s team in the case. On this, the NAB officials said through their investigation, they came to know that eight plants were installed in Dunyapur where huge irregularities had been found.

Waseem said the former chief minister had ordered installation of the plants in the area and the same were installed during the by-election to get votes. He said a case was registered with Anti-Corruption Establishment on Shahbaz’s directions when reports about corruption surfaced.

Waseem’s counsel said his client voluntarily provided information to the NAB authorities but even then he was taken into custody.

On the other hand, Qamar said he was the only candidate whose hands and legs were tied. The NAB officials said Qamar had awarded contract for 84 water treatment plants against a heavy amount illegally. They said the accused misused his authority. “Many things have been revealed through the investigation,” said a NAB investigator who added that the name of a politician known as Kanju was used for the contact.

After hearing arguments of both sides, the court extended for further 14 days the physical remand of both accused and directed the NAB officials to produce them again on July 23.