Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry Housing and Works has completed its inquiry into a million rupee corruption scandal and asked the competent authority to retrieve plundered national wealth.

An inquiry report available with Daily Times shows that incumbent Managing Director Pakistan Housing Authority PHA Shahid Farzad is a main delinquent in this scam who disbursed more than Rs 21.18 million to construction companies. These development schemes were initiated in 2010 in the constituency of Shaikh Aftab Ahmed, the incumbent state minister for parliamentarian affairs and a very close aide of Nawaz Sharif. But the officer concerned from Pakistan Works disbursed more funds to the contractors which has now been termed an illegal act on behalf of the officers.

The main accused in the scam has now shifted this allegation on then MNA Sheikh Aftab Ahmed and said that the contractors were paid an extra Rs 21 million on the behest of MNA who had arranged funds for these development schemes. It was revealed during the audit of the ministry’s financial affairs that former executive engineer Civil 11 has allegedly enhanced the cost of three development schemes being completed in Attock and the contractor were paid Rs 21 million rupees from the agreement as the cost of the project was enhance 157%, 55% and 35% respectively without observing the rules concerned.
The issue was also debated at departmental accounts committee meeting and the Ministry of Housing was directed to hold a department inquiry to ascertain whether anyone was involved in corrupt activities. Senior Engineer Zubai Khalid was directed to hold an inquiry into this matter but was later replaced by Engineer Suresh Dandani serving in Karachi. Late on, this task was completed by Senior Engineer Qaiser Abbas.