‘False and fabricated’: Punjab govt rejects PML-N leader Abbasi’s corruption allegations regarding free flour scheme

[ghazi52]

.,.,

‘False and fabricated’: Punjab govt rejects PML-N leader Abbasi’s corruption allegations regarding free flour scheme​

Adnan Sheikh
April 30, 2023

The Punjab caretaker government on Sunday termed corruption allegations made by PML-N’s Shahid Khaqan Abbasi regarding the free flour distribution programme “false and fabricated”.

A day earlier, the PML-N leader — who is part of a group of political mavericks holding a series of nationwide seminars on the current challenges being faced by the country in an effort to develop a consensus on the future course of action required to be taken by all stakeholders to bring Pakistan out of the present mess — had alleged that Rs20 billion was looted during the free floor distribution programme, which was first rolled out in Punjab.

At a seminar at Lahore’s Government College University (GCU), the PML-N leader had talked at length about the issues plaguing governance in the country.

“Whenever there is a problem, the officer is changed but the system remains the same. The officer just fixes a few things. We now identify honest officers. There was a time when we identified dishonest officers,” he said.

“Recently, Rs84bn worth of [free] flour was distributed. I am sorry to say that approximately Rs20bn was looted.

“Look at it any which way. What has the poor man gotten for whom you spent Rs84bn?” he asked, stating that it was impossible to deliver on promises within the current system of governance and called for it to be “redefined”.

“The whole system needs to be changed. It has become so corrupt that it cannot deliver, whether in the Centre or the provinces.”

https://twitter.com/x/status/1652612238057050115

Although the PML-N leader did not single out the Punjab government, provincial Interim Information Minister Amir Mir issued a statement on Sunday and termed Abbasi’s allegations to be “false and fabricated”. He said that the provincial government had provided relief to millions of beneficiaries under the programme.

“There wasn’t even an ounce of corruption,” Mir said, adding that those making the claims had damaged their own credibility.
The Punjab minister claimed that the free flour distribution programme was the province’s most successful scheme yet under which approximately 30 million people were provided free flour during the month of Ramazan.

Mir highlighted the free flour scheme was jointly funded by both the federal and the provincial government. He lamented that the programme had become a target due to the internal political differences within the PML-N.

The provincial caretaker minister urged Abbasi to either apologise or provide evidence to back the allegations.

“The caretaker Punjab government believes in transparency and impartiality and can give an account of every penny regarding the flour scheme. Therefore, no one can accuse it of corruption,” Mir said.

On Saturday night, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had said that free flour was provided to millions of poor people in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Islamabad with full transparency and honesty during the difficult economic times.

“The administrative officers and staff worked day and night to make the landmark scheme a success which is commendable,” she tweeted.

On the other hand, former information minister and PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry urged the National Accountability Bureau chairman to initiate an investigation into the claims made by Abbasi and hold the Punjab government accountable.

Free flour scheme​

In March, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced that “the poorest of the poor” would get wheat flour (Atta) for free during Ramazan. The package was first implemented in Punjab and then in other parts of the country.
The prime minister had directed the authorities to chalk out a strategy for the supply of flour to poor families “as soon as possible”.

However, the programme was marred by violence and deaths as citizens thronged distribution points amid a significant increase in inflation in the country. Incidents of stampede, chaos and snatching of flour bags at the distribution points were reported from various towns of the province.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1652611545682128896

Earlier this month, Punjab caretaker government succumbed to the pressure of the federal authorities and approved expansion of the project at an additional cost of Rs35 billion.

The package was to initially cost around Rs53bn to the provincial kitty as the government was to release 537,000 tonnes of wheat from its stocks to the flour mills for grinding and providing the commodity at the distribution points. The operational cost – administration, security and transportation – of the project was estimated to be Rs7bn.

Sources said that neither the Punjab government, nor bureaucracy was in favour of the scheme in its present form that was leading to deaths and injuries to the deserving people due to overcrowding and mismanagement at the distribution points.

Officials engaged in the flour distribution also blamed the Punjab Information Technology Board’s ‘flawed’ app developed on the database of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for the inordinate delays in the distribution of the commodity.

Sources said the provincial authorities made an abortive attempt to convince the premier in their March 7 meeting that deserving people should instead be paid in cash through the BISP database or provided subsidy in the powers bills for offsetting the impact of the historically high inflation.

They said the prime minister was also suggested that the subsidy on the flour which the Punjab government was already providing to the masses before setting in of Ramazan at a rate of Rs648 per 10kg bag, could be further increased to facilitate the downtrodden to avoid the mess likely to be caused by the free flour distribution at the makeshift points.

But, the premier rejected this option too and insisted on implementing the plan he desired to introduce.

‘False and fabricated’: Punjab govt rejects PML-N leader Abbasi’s corruption allegations regarding free flour scheme

Interim Information Minister Amir Mir tells PML-N's Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to either provide evidence or apologise.

www.dawn.com

 

[ghazi52]

.,.,.

Incompetent people made ministers in current cabinet: Abbasi​

The Newspaper
April 30, 2023

LAHORE: Former prime minister and PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi says all the political parties in the current government have failed to give a better and competent cabinet.

“We could not form a 10-member competent people’s cabinet to run the affairs of the country smoothly,” he lamented and added that the people who did not have any ability were made ministers in the cabinet.

Abbasi said the institutions were not working within their constitutional limits and all the systems of the country had failed due to failure of the leadership. He bemoaned the lack of vision in the leadership to bring about changes to the system to solve problems of the country facing existential crisis.

The former prime minister was addressing a seminar on ‘Reimagining Pakistan’ at the Government College University (GCU) on Saturday. The seminar was a part of ‘The Great Debate 2023’ to discuss the problems of the country and their solutions.

Former federal finance minister and PML-N leader Miftah Ismail was the other speaker who predicted that the country, facing economic problems, would take years to address its issues.

Terms leadership’s failure cause of failed system; Miftah predicts more tough years ahead

Mr. Abbasi lamented that the political differences in the country were becoming personal differences. He said no better decision was coming to bring about betterment in Pakistan and the country could not move forward without mutual cooperation of the institutions.

“I have seen 24 chief justices and nine army chiefs and all were gone but there are still the same problems,” he said.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said a secretary (bureaucrat) could not run the affairs without political vision and political leadership did not have any vision to lead the country. He termed those involved in making and destabilising the governments responsible for the current situation.

“There is a need to bring about reforms in bureaucracy for better working. No federal government employee wants to work in the federal government and they all prefer to work with the provincial government,” he painted a dark picture.

The former prime minister suggested changes to the rules of business of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as no secretary was ready to prepare a summary for the prime minister because he feared being arrested later on.

“Rs20bn were looted during the free floor distribution programme,” he said.

He said the judiciary would have to earn back its respect.

Speaking on the occasion, Miftah Ismail said the country would have to pay Rs20bn to 25bn in debt every year and the world was not in favour of giving debt to Pakistan, which could not stop its growing population. He lamented that no foreigner wanted to invest in Pakistan.

Mr Ismail said the successive governments had failed to provide the people with basic health and education. He said the circular debt increased every year even after better management by the PTI and PML-N governments. The PIA would have to face a Rs90bn deficit during the current year.

The former finance minister said only 30,000 traders out of 2.2m were paying tax. “I had to face the wrath of traders for imposing tax on them during our government,” he recalled.

Retired justice Nasira Javed said that there would be a lawless situation without true implementation of the Constitution. She said: “there should be a solution to the confrontation between parliament and the judiciary”.

She urged the political leaders to find a solution to avoid confrontation between the parliament and the judiciary.

 

[Hexlor]

 

[Jango]

SKA is the biggest conman in the current political scene. A hypocrite of the highest order.

Bhai tum PM thay, tum isi system main thay and you enjoyed it the way it was for eternity. You benefitted from it.

You were an accessory to the faulty power policies enacted by N league.

Ab agaya hai bhashan dene.

Only reason he is doing this is because he is hated by Shahbaz Sharif. Listen to SKA in any interview, he wouldn't say a word against NS, us kay phir bhi uthata rahay ga. It's SS he has a beef with.

I can at least respect Miftah somewhat because he at least tried to bring some reforms that he talks about.

 

[Salik]

SKA is the biggest conman in the current political scene. A hypocrite of the highest order.

Bhai tum PM thay, tum isi system main thay and you enjoyed it the way it was for eternity. You benefitted from it.

You were an accessory to the faulty power policies enacted by N league.

Ab agaya hai bhashan dene.

Only reason he is doing this is because he is hated by Shahbaz Sharif. Listen to SKA in any interview, he wouldn't say a word against NS, us kay phir bhi uthata rahay ga. It's SS he has a beef with.

I can at least respect Miftah somewhat because he at least tried to bring some reforms that he talks about.

Nonetheless, corruption has indeed tainted the free flour scheme. I can personally attest to this as two bags of the free flour somehow found their way into our household. Regrettably, the quality of the flour was so abysmal that it was unfit for human consumption. We ended up giving one bag to our milkman and the other to our relatives involved in poultry farming to use as animal feed. Furthermore, media reports have also highlighted the issue of poor-quality flour within the scheme.

It's important to differentiate between the embezzlement of funds during transactions and the act of supplying low-quality flour while falsely portraying it as top-grade in the records. Proving this type of corruption may pose a significant challenge.

Another aspect to consider is the moral decay associated with such actions. While it's true that we reside in a developing nation, the flour provided was of such appalling quality that it could be deemed more fitting for a much lower standard of living. It raises concerns about how such substandard quality could receive approval at the federal and provincial levels, especially during the sacred month of Ramadan.