Ex-deputy speaker named in graft case
The anti-corruption department Rawalpindi has registered a case against the former deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly Wasiq Qayum and former Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Major (retired) Latasub Satti and the executive engineer (XEN) of the provincial highway authority over the alleged alteration in the proposed project of the tourism highway project in Kotli Sattian area of Kahuta.
The proposed highway would provide an alternate route to Rawalpindi to Muzaffarabad, Murree, Kotli Sattian, Kahuta, and Kallar Syedan
The case was registered on a complaint filed by Shakeel Ahmed, a resident of Kahuta.
It contends that the route of the highway passing through Kotli Sattian was changed to accommodate a local politician. The new route, it claimed, would pass near the lands of the politician and his family. This would result in financial benefits as the value of the land would greatly increase due to this alteration. It stated that the similar changes were made to the route at Bostanabad.
The complaint added that the change would cause losses ‘of millions of rupees’ to the national exchequer in terms of increased costs.
By changing the proposed route of the road, the distance has been increase as well as the estimated cost of the project, it continued while calling for an inquiry.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 27th, 2023.