Waziristan schools: PHC orders inquiry into embezzlement

Asks NAB to look into school’s accounts, transactions.

PESHAWAR:

A petition filed by residents of South Waziristan has alleged that the political administration of the agency has been embezzling funds from a school that was established by tribesmen of the area.

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has partially allowed the writ petition filed by Hayatullah Wazir. It alleged that the political administration embezzled Rs106 million out of the Musa Nika Public School (MNPS) funds. Established in 1982, MNPS is one of the more reputable educational institutions in the area.

The court ordered that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) look into these allegations. The PHC said the school’s account records, cash deposits and withdrawals and procedures for purchasing school supplies should all be examined. A two member bench headed by PHC Chief Justice (CJ), Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth was informed that the school funds were generated through various donations, agriculture tax, tribe commissions and a small government contribution.

The bench was told that despite allocating the funds to the school to increase the literacy rate of Wazir tribesmen, the political administration had looted the money. The division bench criticised the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) secretariat for neglecting education indicated by low literacy rates of the area. The bench said that the secretariat had neither financed nor established a noticeable educational institution in the area except for Cadet College Razmak.

“Less educational opportunities have meant tribal youth become more likely opt for guns instead of becoming continuing studies to become professionals,” CJ Khan said. Many tribesmen are taking their own initiatives performing the government’s duty to provide educational facilities, he added.

He called the authorities ‘scavengers’ and said they would be punished under relevant section of law if found guilty.

The bench later appointed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) Chief Secretary Ghulam Dastagir to monitor the inquiry process and ensure that it remained uninfluenced and objective.

Dastagir was also directed to reconstitute the board of governors of the school if required. The NAB director general has been asked to submit a report to the PHC’s registrar and the court must be informed of any impediments in the process.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2012.