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By Our Correspondent
Published: March 23, 2014
The logo of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) office bearers and workers have arrayed against their own member provincial assembly and Adviser to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Prisons, Malik Qasim, for alleged misuse of development funds.
PTI workers have levelled allegations of misuse of development funds in Qasim’s home constituency of PK-41 Karak. The workers also went a step further and obtained a stay order from the court of a senior civil judge in Karak – although the order was later withdrawn when senior party leaders assuaged the workers.
It was after several attempts that the disgruntled workers, along with certain office bearers of PTI, and Qasim were reconciled. On Friday, both disputing workers and the MPA agreed to set up an eight-member committee that will decide and monitor where and how the funds will be allocated.
The Express Tribune has learnt that a total of 41 party workers, including Takht-i-Nasrati tehsil president Arif Nawaz and tehsil general secretary Moheet Khan Khattak had obtained a stay order on the utilisation of developmental funds by Qasim that were allegedly not based on merit.
When contacted, Moheet Khan Khattak confirmed the earlier stay order obtained by party workers against Qasim and its withdrawal upon the intervention of senior party leaders, including PTI MPA from district Karak PK-40 Gul Sahib Khan.
“Party workers are very concerned with what Qasim is doing with developmental funds,” said Moheet. “This goes against the party’s agenda of ‘change’ through merit-based policies.”
Moheet said they tried their best to make the MPA “mend his ways”, but to no avail. He claimed the funds are allocated on political grounds, even to political opponents of PTI. He also alleged that developmental schemes are given to those who are not entitled to it, instead of those who need it.
The funds, which run in millions of rupees, are meant to be used under eight subjects including roads, electricity, gas, education, technical education, dams, health and water, informed Khattak Ittehad General Secretary Rahim Gul Khattak. “However, the MPA is bent on using the funds for digging water wells only for selected people in selected areas,” he maintained.
Rahim added the utilisation of development funds will be observed after the formation of the committee. If, he said, it was not found within a month that Qasim has quit his focus on water supply schemes, a stay order will be obtained against him from Peshawar High Court.
Malik Qasim could not be reached for comments despite several attempts.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 23rd, 2014.
