Favouritism charge: Parents vent suspicion about APS funds use

Accuse some members of Shuhada Ghazi Forum of mishandling money

KARACHI: In the courtyard of a private hospital in Karachi, some parents of the students of the Army Public School (APS) Peshawar were having a heated exchange of words. Some of the APS students brought to Karachi for treatment, along with their parents, accused Qaiser Ali, Spokesperson and coordinator of Shuhada Ghazi Forum (SGF), and a few other members of SGF of committing favouritism and using funds in a biased way.

“They are favouring people that they know. My son, Zonain received six bullets, yet was brought here late. And the people who were shot once or not at all were brought just because they were related to the forum,” said hawaldaar Eidur Rehman while talking to The Express Tribune on phone from Peshawar. Zonain arrived in Karachi for treatment with his mother.

“Qaiser has rented a flat in Clifton, supposed to be for the APS parents, but his sister and mother are staying there. And we are staying in shabby hostels given by the government of Sindh,” said Huma, mother of a grade nine student Maaz who was injured in the attack. “They took money from everyone for tickets and hostels though we were told by the government that they had released funds for this.” She added that, “Qaiser’s nephew Nafay, a student of grade four, was brought in for treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), while there are other kids who got seriously shot and injured, but did not get a chance to get treated here.”

The statement given by Huma was verified by an APS teacher who requested anonymity, and revealed that the building of the primary school where Nafay studied was not even attacked. It was the building where senior classes were situated that was attacked.

Mohammad Kamran is the brother of Mubasher Subhan who is still hoping to be sent abroad for treatment, as artificial finger joints that he needs are not available in Pakistan. Kamran expressed his frustration with the confusion about funds while talking to The Express Tribune.

Musawwir Mehboob, brother of another injured student Amir who also needs to be treated abroad, said, “They brought people who they wanted to bring and who were related to them, and the people who are seriously injured and need treatment are still there in Peshawar.”

Shah Saud, uncle of the discharged Irfan, expressed his suspicion over allocation of funds too. “Qaiser was meeting all the visitors alone after their meeting with the kids.”

The father of the injured Ansar, Syed Ijaz Ali, said: “I have bought the ticket myself and brought my kid here myself for treatment.” He added that he has not received the cheque worth Rs 1.5 million that was to be transferred to the parents of injured students.

In defence

Qaiser Ali, spokesperson SGF, denied the allegations, and said that the people who were brought to Karachi were referred by the Medical Board made by the SGF. “There is not a single child who was not injured and was brought to Karachi,” he said, and refrained from talking about his own nephew Nafay who was not injured.

“We have paid for the airfares from SGF’s pockets. Parents haven’t done anything,” said Qaiser. However, he retreated from his earlier statement and later said, “It’s because of lack of funds that parents had to pay for the tickets”.

“Funds have been transferred through cross cheques,” said Shahram Khan, Senior Minister for Health, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). Khan seemed unsure of information related to airfare and accommodation of parents in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2015.