Sindh Assembly Session. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) indefinitely adjourned the hearing on Friday of the plea against corruption in the construction of new Sindh Assembly building and MPA Hostel due to the shortage of time.
A divisional bench comprising SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh and Justice Omar Sial heard the plea. The assistant advocate-general appeared before the court as the representative of the Sindh government. CJ Sheikh adjourned the hearing indefinitely due to the shortage of court time.
The petitioner, Afshan Mansoor, argued that large-scale corruption had been committed in the construction of the new building of Sindh Assembly and discrepancies were also reported in the construction of new MPA hostel.
According to PC 1, the estimate of the building was around Rs2.7 billion which has been increased to Rs11.4b. More than Rs6.72b have been issued as of June 30, 2017. This amount has been issued before even 50% of the work was completed, claimed the petitioner.
The project is being executed by Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani who appointed Manzoor Nazar as the project director. The petitioner maintained that the finance minister and the accountant-general were colluding in the corruption. She mentioned that the provincial anti-corruption investigation officer (IO) was transferred.
The petitioner argued that there were no checks and balances to prevent corruption and illegal practices. She asked for NAB chairperson to be directed to investigate the irregularities.
The court sought records of appointments made in municipal organisations over the past 17 years and of appointments made in Sindh Assembly.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 23rd, 2019.
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