Inquiry Commission Report Blames PML-N, PPP Of Rs.1000bn Damage To National Exchequer

The inquiry report made public by Prime Minister Imran Khan also carried out investigation into all development projects, schemes and loans taken by previous PML-N and PPP government from 2008 to 2018.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-May 22^nd, 2020) Sugar Inquiry Commission Report made public by ruling PTI blamed the PPP and PML-N governments of alleged loss of Rs. 1,000bn from 2008 to 2018 to the national exchequer through various development projects here on Friday.

The report which was initially presented to Prime Minister Imran khan unveiled the use of Rs 24,000b loans taken by the PPP and the PML-N governments. The commissions;s findings indicated that the oppositions parties despite being already in hot waters must be ready for more music in coming days.

The Commission also carried out its investigation into Orange Train, BRT Peshawar, Neelum-Jhelum Hydro Power Project and projects of electricity and education. In the report, Finance Ministr, Federal and provincial ministries were held responsible for colossal damage to the national exchequer amounting to Rs. 1,000 billion.

The development schemes’ initiated with loans from the World Bank and Asian Development stood at 25-30 per cent were also highlighted during the inquiry report.

The findings also uncovered 13 families of top officials, bureaucrats and politicians in important ministries including the Lahore Development Authority, which played questionable role in the huge damage to the public money. The Commission recommended the required actions against those responsible for inflicting damage on the national kitty.

The sources said that a report into the use of Rs24,000 billion loans attained both from external and internal resources during the 2008-2018 period while the federal government had constituted the 11-member Debt Inquiry Commission with eight ToRs on June 21, 2019. The Commission was given the task to submit its report within six months.

However, the Commission headed by Hussain Asghar and its supporting staff completed the report, working even on weekly holidays apart from putting in hours beyond working schedule.

During the investigation, it was unfolded that the date Act 2005 was brazenly violated. The previous two governments, in just 10 years, have taken loans of Rs24,000 billion owing to which total loans swelled to Rs30,840 billion in September 2018 from Rs6,690 billion.

This exposed the country to a huge volume of loans. In the report, it has also been mentioned how the huge amounts allocated for education and health projects have been diverted to other development schemes.

The Commission revealed many violations in K-4 project as its design and route was changed to accommodate a housing society which resulted in a massive loss of Rs30 billion while change of design left project of K-4 completely impracticable.

Most of the construction work, it uncovered, was washed away in various floods besides M-3 Motorway the cost of which increased by 100 percent which included in the investigation report. The Safe City projects of Islamabad and Lahore were also investigated.

The investigation also found that the previous government made appointment of ‘likeminded officials’ in the Economic Affairs Division which managed huge loans for development schemes but most of them were not doable. I also revealed the kickbacks and misuse of authority in various development projects, with clear note that over 100 individuals were involved in suspicious transactions with regard to various projects.

The commission also secured complete record of 400 loans attained through external and internal resources.

According to the report, over 60 officials assisted the Commission in getting the record about loans managed from various external and domestic resources while the details of loans and hundreds of projects, coupled with forensic audits of government accounts taken from about 200 departments.

The inquiry report consisted of audit reports of the Auditor General of Pakistan during 2008-2018 along with irregularities in the projects and involvement of many individuals also unveiled the fake development schemes for which parliamentarians minted public funds in large numbers.

The Commission also investigated 25 projects of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, 85 projects of Ministry of Communication, 56 project of Ports and Shipping and Railways, 285 projects of HEC (Higher Education Commission), 78 projects of Health, 203 projects of IT Ministry, 186 projects of the Interior Ministry and 113 of the Cabinet Division.

In its findings, the Commission also held inquiry into BRT Peshawar and Neelum-Jhelum hydropower projects, revealing that the cost of BRT Peshawar increased to Rs75 billion from Rs30 billion and the cost of the Neelum-Jhelum project went high from from Rs85 billion to over Rs500 billion.

The 11-member Debt Inquiry Commission headed by Deputy Chairman NAB Hussain Asghar submitted the report after 11 months. The officials from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), FBR, Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and Finance Ministry were part of the Inquiry Commission.