Money matters in Havelian: Tehsil nazim accuses LG minister of funding JI schemes

Says Inayatullah asked TMO to include party member\s projects in TMA schemes

ABBOTABAD:

Havelian tehsil nazim Sardar Arsal Pervez has accused Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan of favouring his party in disbursing development funds.

Speaking to the media at his office on Monday, Pervez said Inayatullah wrote a letter to Havelian tehsil municipal officer (TMO) on December 14, 2015. The letter, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, carries signatures of Inayatullah’s private secretary and was CCed to Jamaat-e-Islami district ameer Abdul Razzaq Abbasi.

"In this the devolution of power to the grass roots, asking officials fo TMA to spend 25% of the development funds on JI's schemes?

Havelian tehsil nazim Sardar Arsal Pervez

Pervez said through this letter, the senior minister asked the TMO to fund all schemes initiated by JI’s district ameer at a value of Rs19.8 million. The tehsil nazim said the minister’s private secretary had contacted the TMO several times by phone, asking him to ensure the inclusion of Abbasi’s  schemes in the development plan of the Havelian Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA).

“Is this the devolution of power to the grass roots, asking officials of TMA to spend 25% of the development funds on JI’s schemes?” Pervez asked. He added the funds were for the welfare of the general public and not a single party. He termed it an unauthorized and unlawful act based on “blackmailing”.  Pervez asked the provincial and federal leadership of JI to take action against the minister whom the nazim accused of pressuring officials to divert funds for the JI district chapter’s chief.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th,  2016.