Alleged irregularities: SC stops FIA from probing Peshawar BRT

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday halted the probe being conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) into the alleged irregularities in the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and sought complete details of the total cost of the project and its completion date.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, heard the appeals filed by the government of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), challenging the order passed by the Peshawar High Court (PHC) directing the FIA to conduct an inquiry into different aspects of the BRT project. Last year in November, a division bench of the PHC, headed by Chief Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth, while hearing different petitions had directed the FIA to conduct a detailed inquiry about 35 different points in the BRT project and submit a report within 45 days. The bench had directed the FIA authorities to take action against the delinquents if found guilty in the inquiry. The petitioners had submitted before the court that the project was initiated without any vision and plan.

The KP government, through its secretary Local Government and Rural Development and secretary Transport Department, had filed joint appeals under Article 185(3) of the Constitution against Fazle Karim Khan and others, DG PDA and project director BRT. The KP government had prayed the apex court to grant leave to appeal against the PHC’s impugned order dated 14-11-2019. On Monday, during the proceedings, Shumail Butt, Advocate General KP, submitted before the court that the PHC had issued the verdict without hearing complete arguments of the provincial government. The law officer further contended that even the petitioners in the case had not sought the decision which was issued by the High Court. He submitted that the petitioners had just prayed for suspension of construction work on the project in front of their houses.

Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel asked the law officer as to whether there is any final date for the competition of the said project. The advocate general replied that the project will be completed by July 31, 2020. Meanwhile, the court directed the FIA to stop the probe in the alleged irregularities in the BRT project. The court also directed the KP government to submit a comprehensive report on the initial estimation as well as the total cost of the project besides submitting as to when the instant project will be completed and adjourned the hearing for date-in-office.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PHC in its judgment had observed that such a huge amount spent on the BRT could have been used to complete projects in a number of sectors that would have changed the economic landscape of KP. It had added that visionless PTI government has concentrated loaned money in one city and this project may not bring radical change in the lives of people. The court had questioned as to who took the decision to buy 220 buses when only 65 buses were being used in Punjab for a longer bus route besides asking as to why the project could not be completed in the anticipated one year period.