Metro Bus bidding process was dubious: Gill

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill has said that bidding process of the Metro Bus was not transparent and it caused huge financial loss to the national exchequer.

Addressing a press conference alongside the PTI Central Punjab President Ijaz Chaudhry at the Governor House in Lahore on Wednesday, he said Metro Bus project was awarded by Shahbaz Sharif government to a chosen single foreign bidder at 3.80 dollars per kilometre in 2012, while no other local or foreign company was invited for bid, adding that the PTI government had awarded the same project in 1.86 dollars per kilometre in 2020 and saved 1.94 dollars per kilometre for the country.

“The award of project without fair competition was a dishonest practice with waste of public tax money by paying high price,” he said, adding that these were the reason that they called Metro Bus as “Jangla Bus”.

He said the PTI was not against Metro Bus but it had opposed the process under which Shahbaz Sharif launched Metro Bus in Lahore, adding that Shahbaz Sharif awarded the contract to a foreign company of his choice to run 45 buses fleet under dubious circumstances. Gill said he had been summoned by the court on a petition for questioning the dubious bidding of Metro Bus, adding that he would appear before the court unlike the JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman who refused to appear before the court. Gill said Metro Bus belonged to people as it had been bought with the public tax money and it was not owned by rulers or politicians, adding that the dubious deal had proved Prime Minister Imran Khan’s standpoint that the past rulers were corrupt and insincere with the country.

He said Shahbaz Sharif influenced the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab to get his son-in-law Ali Imran declared innocent in corruption charges, adding that the ACE was not allowed to work freely during Shahbaz Sharif’s 10 years rule as chief minister Punjab.

Gill said the past rulers caused loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer through expensive deals.

Meanwhile, Shahbaz Gill accused the PML-N workers of attacking his car. According to media reports, the SAPM said that the incident occurred when he was returning from an accountability court in Lahore. He told that his car was punched and police rescued him.

Gill said such things happen when one is fighting against mafia. “I have complete faith in Allah Almighty and will not panic. I am Prime Minster Imran Khan’s soldier and will not retreat,” he said.

Meanwhile, the company has filed a damages suit against Shahbaz Gill over his statement. During appearance at court, the PML-N activists chanted slogans against Shahbaz Gill.