OGDCL contractor accuses deputy speaker of abusing his powers

Mohammad Imran claims Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi tried to force him to hire certain people .

PESHAWAR:

An Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) contractor from Karak district on Wednesday accused Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi of favouritism and abusing his powers.

In a press conference held at the Peshawar Press Club, OGDCL contractor Mohammad Imran said the company had undertaken projects of oil exploration in various areas of Mianwali, Karak and Kohat and mostly hired locals as labourers.

Imran alleged after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) assumed power, K-P Assembly Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi tried to force him to employ people from Shakar Darra, Kohat as labourers on his recommendation.



“The deputy speaker sent me lists of labourers to employ many a time, however, I refused to comply. Qureshi then tried to influence my seniors to get me to do as he said, but they refused to get involved in the controversy,” Imran claimed.

“On Tuesday, Qureshi’s brother, Arshad Qureshi came to OGDCL’s base in Karak accompanied by other people and locked down the facility,” alleged Imran.

He demanded the provincial government to take action against the deputy speaker’s high-handedness. “If any sort of corruption is proven against me, I should be awarded stern punishment. However, if Qureshi is found guilty, the government and PTI should take action against him for misusing his powers,” maintained Imran.

The contractor also asked K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudary to take notice of the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2013.