Clash of constituencies: Umar asks Chaudhary for clarity on spending

PTI MNA represents NA-48, CADD minister represents NA-49

ISLAMABAD: An opposition member of parliament from the capital has sought an explanation from the government regarding its plans to spend recently-released federal grants totalling Rs660 million for Islamabad.

PTI MNA Asad Umar, through a letter written to State Minister for the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, has asked if the government intends to spend the money in both constituencies of Islamabad, or only in the minister’s area.

Umar was elected from NA-48 Islamabad, while Dr Chaudhary, who was recently made CADD minister, was elected from NA-49 Islamabad.

The grants of Rs30 million and Rs630 million for the capital were released by the federal government under an initiative titled ‘Islamabad under Pakistan Millennium Development Goals Community Development Programme’.

The fund — informally known as parliamentarians’ funds — is meant to develop basic healthcare, education, and infrastructure in the rural areas of the capital, which fall under Islamabad Capital Territory Administration.

“I intend to know whether the subject funds will be incurred in both constituencies, NA-48 and NA-49, or if the same will be incurred in NA-49 [the constituency of the federal minister] only,” Umar’s letter reads.

Umar states that he has asked for the clarification so that he may identify development schemes in NA-48.

The majority of the city’s rural areas fall in NA-49, but NA-48 also includes a substantial rural belt.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2016.