Embezzlement or aid?: Enquiry under way over allegations against PTI MPAs

Women lawmakers accused of ‘selling’ development funds to JUI-F legislator .

PESHAWAR:

A central leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has said an enquiry over alleged embezzlement by two party MPAs from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is presently under way and denied rumours of the lawmakers being fired from the party.

Naeemul Haq, office in charge of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, was replying to a query regarding reports of sacking two women MPAs of the party for ‘selling’ their development funds to opposition party members.

“No, their party membership has not been terminated since an enquiry is being carried out over the allegations,” Haq told The Express Tribune in a telephone interview on Sunday.

Funnelling funds?

Insiders familiar with the matter said PTI’s reserved seat MPAs Nagina Khan and Nargis Ali faced criticism from within the party when allegations recently surfaced. They were accused of diverting their respective development funds for a cost to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) lawmaker from Lakki Marwat, Munawar Khan.

A complaint was reportedly filed against the women lawmakers with the anti-corruption cell and was later forwarded to the party chief. Speculations are rife within the party that Imran Khan has terminated the party membership of both lawmakers because of his ‘strong stance against corrupt elements’.

In an official handout from June 20, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak squashed speculations of terminating Nargis Ali and Nagina Khan’s party membership, saying the MPAs had used the funds in consultation with PTI’s office-bearers. He said both lawmakers were entitled to use funds at any location across the province as they were reserved members of the assembly.

When contacted, Nagina denied the allegations and termed them a part of the propaganda against PTI. She said her party membership has not been terminated and she remains a member of the provincial assembly. “These are just accusations and I am still a party and assembly member,” she said.

However, MPA Ali said funds had been provided to party workers in Lakki Marwat and not to the JUI-F lawmaker. Residents of Lakki Marwat suffer from an acute shortage of potable water and the funds were issued to PTI workers for water schemes, she added.

“This is what has actually happened. In addition to the local lawmaker’s own funds for development, we provided our own share to Lakki Marwat residents so they do not travel to far flung areas to fetch water – they are our brothers and sisters. I don’t understand why these allegations of financial mismanagement have surfaced,” added Ali.

Nagina hails from Swat while Ali belongs to Abbottabad and is the cabinet secretary of the provincial relief, rehabilitation and settlement department.

Patterns of corruption

In November last year, the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) pulled out of its coalition with the PTI-led provincial government after two of its ministers were sacked over charges of corruption and poor performance.

Former QWP minister Bakht Baidar then sought Rs1 billion in damages from Imran Khan for maligning his reputation and accusing him of corruption without any evidence.

Imran, however, argued that Baidar was removed by the chief minister, claiming he himself had nothing to do with the dismissal.

Following the removal of QWP lawmakers, two other cabinet members belonging to PTI were removed over what was termed ‘bad performance’ by the government. The axed cabinet members were former health minister Shaukat Yousafzai and chief minister’s adviser on transport Yasin Khan Khalil. Several party workers of the sacked PTI MPAs had expressed their disapproval against the decision and protested in support of their leaders.

The move had come after a 14-member group of disgruntled PTI provincial legislators pressured the leader of the house and party chief to take action against corrupt elements in the cabinet.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2014.