Rawalpindi Ring Road case: PMLN demands judicial panel

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) has demanded the government to constitute a judicial commission, comprising over the judges of Supreme Court of Pakistan, to investigate the Rawalpindi Ring Road scandal.

PMLN leader Ataullah Tarar, while talking to media at party’s Model Town office on Wednesday, said that nowadays the Rawalpindi Ring Road scandal has been the talk of the town and many bureaucrats were transferred due to this scam.

He alleged that so far Rs2.3 billion has been paid to various property dealers and most of them were the front men of PTI’s Zulfi Bukhari and Ghulam Sarwar. He said Usman Bazar held two meetings through PND to remodel the project.

He demanded the Punjab government to release the original plan of the project and tell the people that from where it was starting and where it was ending. Tarar further said that Adviser to Chief Minister Salman Shah also held meetings on it.

The PMLN leader claimed that Punjab government was buying land and paying compensation to the people.

He alleged that compensation was only given to like-minded people as many friends and advisers of the prime minister live there. He said Imran Khan always said that he will not give NRO to the opposition but he never took action against his own people and it seemed that this time he will again reward his people.

Tarar claimed that PML-N had planned 26km but PTI government extended it to sixty-six kilometers and this project was also extended to Islamabad. He alleged that Zulfi Bukhari and Ghulam Sarwar got benefits. He declared it as a daylight robbery by the PTI stalwarts. “You have carried out this robbery using government resources and extended the project to 66 kilometers,” he said, adding the PML-N government was accused of wrong doing in Ashiana project, which was on public-private partnership and so far nothing came out of it.

He criticised the government for making government officials scapegoats. He said on February 19, 2021, Usman Buzdar’s Adviser Salman Shah also approved it and two PTI leaders had been given crores of rupees.

He demanded that Zulfi Bukhari and Ghulam Sarwar should be removed from the cabinet immediately while a commission of the Supreme Court should be formed to investigate this scandal. He also appealed the Supreme Court to take notice of this issue. He also taunted that let’s see what Shahzad Akbar will do with this issue.

Tarar said the government’s friends first exported sugar and their pockets were filled. “If you are so transparent, write to the Supreme Court to conduct a transparent investigation,” Tarar said, adding PML-N will not let the government run away on this issue.

He further said that the NAB did not take notice of this as it would not see anyone except the Sharif family.