Demanding answers: Development funds questioned in G-B Assembly

Some lawmakers upset over alleged comments by secretary services.

GILGIT:

A lawmaker in the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Assembly on Monday questioned the utilisation of development funds, asking the government to give details of where the money had been spent.

“Where are the tenders of schemes and projects approved during the past three years?” asked parliamentary secretary Rahmat Khaliq of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl(JUI-F) during the third day of the assembly proceedings. “There has been no work in any constituency since 2012 and we are entitled to know why.”

G-B Chief Minister (CM) Mehdi Shah said the answer of Khaliq’s question will be given in the in-camera session that was held soon after.

Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) lawmaker Mirza Hussain asked the CM to take action against Secretary Services and Information Saad Khan for “making disgraceful comments” about the elected members of G-B.

Two regional newspapers carried a story accusing Saad of terming G-B politicians “incompetent” and saying they do not deserve to be empowered. According to the story published on Friday, Saad made the comments in a meeting with the nine-member senate functional committee investigating human rights violations in G-B.

On behalf of Saad, the G-B Information department rebutted the report a day after it was published, terming it malicious and baseless. The CM asked lawmakers to avoid debating over petty issues created by a segment of the media for commercial interests. “You are creating unnecessary problems,” said Shah. “The story in question is not true and is merely a result of ‘clash of interests’. However, the issue will be discussed during an in-camera session if members insist.”

Shah also added that action will be taken against at least three former secretaries who misappropriated funds before getting transferred. “Former G-B Chief Secretary Younus Dagha will also be held accountable for not taking action against them,” he said. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2014.