Accusations abound : Corruption charges levelled against SWA political agent

PML-N MNA said administration embezzled public money .

DI KHAN: A Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA from South Waziristan said he submitted a complaint with the National Assembly speaker against the alleged corruption of South Waziristan Agency’s political administration.

At a news conference in DI Khan on Sunday, MNA Ghalib Khan alleged that South Waziristan Agency Political Agent Zafarul Islam Khattak and other officials were involved in corruption. He added they have collected millions of rupees in tax for Wana Road—linking Pakistan to Afghanistan—but then embezzled that amount instead of using it for public welfare.

He added Zafarul Islam embezzled funds of development schemes in the agency. Ghalib also asked Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra to take notice of corruption and initiate an enquiry. “They are making money for themselves and depriving the public.”

Ghalib said, “I was elected to serve our people, but the political administration is a big hurdle.”



He said if he cannot serve his people, there was no need for him to remain an MNA. “If my reservations are not taken into consideration, I will not hesitate to resign from the National Assembly seat.”

Reiterating his stance, he requested the political agent be removed from his post. Ghalib was elected in 2013 to the National Assembly from NA-41 (South Waziristan Agency) on a PML-N ticket.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2016.