‘Embezzlement’: Petition moved against laptop scheme

LAHORE: A writ petition has been moved in the Lahore High Court seeking a judicial inquiry into the Punjab government’s laptop scheme. The petitioner, Mian Shahid Abbas, has named the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) president Mian Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif as respondents. Abbas’ petition cites a Transparency International report and alleges that the laptop scheme will cause a loss of Rs1.7 billion to the national exchequer. The Punjab government, he says, purchased a laptop for Rs35,000 when the market price was Rs25,000. He described the scheme as “a political tool”.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2012.