Daily Times

The Senate Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas has ordered an inquiry into widespread power theft across Pakistan and took notice of alleged malpractice by a NESPAK consultant involved in the Park Road Housing Scheme under the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA).

The meeting, chaired by Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani, scrutinized both the ongoing electricity theft concerns and the alleged corruption within the housing project.

During the session, the Committee reviewed the implementation of recommendations from previous meetings, particularly focusing on actions taken against corrupt officials of the Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) over the past five years.

Senator Shahzaib Durrani highlighted discrepancies in QESCO’s disciplinary actions, criticizing the seemingly inconsistent grounds for the termination of certain individuals.

He noted that while some individuals were dismissed for not showing enough interest in anti-theft initiatives, others received only minor penalties for more serious misconduct and corruption.

Despite the removal of these allegedly corrupt officials, power theft in QESCO’s jurisdiction persists. Consequently, the Chairman directed the Power Division to conduct a thorough examination of QESCO’s disciplinary actions and submit a detailed report within 30 days.

The Committee also received updates on ongoing projects in less-developed areas.

Managing Director NESPAK, Muhammad Zargham Eshaq Khan, briefed the Committee on NESPAK’s supervision of the construction of 83 roads across 11 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including seven districts in the former FATA region. The total length of these roads is approximately 872.65 km, with an estimated cost of Rs. 25.7 billion. The Committee instructed NESPAK to provide comprehensive details of projects related to the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The meeting also addressed allegations of malpractice by a NESPAK consultant in the Park Road Housing Scheme of FGEHA. MD NESPAK disclosed that a Fact-Finding Committee had been formed to investigate the allegations, resulting in show-cause notices being issued to three officers and the suspension of four others pending the inquiry’s completion.

Senator Shahzaib Durrani questioned whether the Ministry of Housing had conducted an independent inquiry into the matter.