Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Located at the foot of the Margalla Hills, the Ministers’ Enclave has fallen prey to corrupt mafia in the Public Works Department, as use of substandard paint and inferior quality material in renovation of ministers’ residences has become order of the day.

According to sources, the department – in just six months – had exhausted Rs 1.55 billion out of Rs 1.65 billion allocated by the government for maintenance and renovation of ministers’ residence. The department is now left with Rs 100 million only for rest of the year, which is almost its one month’s expenditure.

Sources added that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has approved a special grant of Rs 4.7 million for renovation of official residence allotted to State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb.

They said that due to shortage of budget, the information minister got approval some funds for her official residence. They said that the renovation work was going at a snail’s pace so she [the minister] got transferred SDO concerned, but then Fazlur Rehman intervened and the transfer of the SDO was cancelled.

Sources revealed that the main reason behind cancellation of the SDO’s transfer was that he had got renovated Fazl’s house under his supervision.

“Moreover, one of Fazl’s close friends – Mufti Ameer Zaib – has “impound two rooms that were reserved for a utility store at the Ministers’ Enclave,” said sources. They added that the rooms were constructed behind Bungalow No 13 some eight years ago, but now Mufti Ameer Zaib has confiscated the rooms.

Sources said that the PWD has been turned into a gold mine for corrupt officials, as maintenance, wear and tear and renovation of the all the public sector offices in the federal capital is its responsibility, and they allow contractors to use inferior material to rake in huge amount of money.

They said that PWD Director General Ali Akbar Sheikh, who has sought continuous extension for the last five years, has not any courage to ask subordinate staff or take action against any contractor as he is also accused of receiving his “share” from those involved in corruption.

It is pertinent to mention here that two lifts out of total four installed at the Shaheed-i-Millat Secretariat are out of order for the last five years .The remaining two lifts are insufficient for some 3000 civil servants working there and a huge number of visitors on a daily basis, but it seems that the PWD is least bothered about them.