KARACHI: Hearing a suo moto case on corruption in the Sindh Coal Authority at Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed reprimanded the authorities concerned over their failure to submit an inquiry report on Saturday.
Addressing them, he said, “What is happening in Karachi? The people here don’t even leave a single penny. Do the people here not love their province?”
He further said, “Where have all the funds gone? To whose account were the funds transferred? Please find out,” addressing Additional Advocate General Sarwar Khan.
“If this money was spent on people of Sindh, the conditions would have improved drastically. In other provinces at least 50% of funds are spent on development programmes but here everything is looted. What are you doing for your province?” he asked.
The SC judge also asked if the authorities knew about Sindh’s perception across the country. “Do you know what the country thinks about Sindh? Should we tell you what we get to hear about Sindh while sitting in Islamabad?”
He said people were dying of malnutrition in Thar. “There is neither food nor education in Thar yet you [Sindh Coal Authority] have opened Thar’s chest and depleting its coal resources. Sindh government has turned a blind eye towards everything.” Justice Ahmed said: “Is it our job to root out corruption from the province? Where is the executive now?”
He directed provincial authorities to submit an inquiry report providing the complete money trail of projects undertaken by the Sindh Coal Authority, along with pictures and other evidence. The hearing was later adjourned.
Published in Daily Times, April 29th 2018.