Rs25 million of taxpayers’ money to be spent on Larkana gathering

Sindh finance dept’s communiqué confirms fund will be released from provincial exchequer

Karachi 

The Sindh government will release Rs25 million of taxpayers’ money for the arrangements for the ruling party’s public gathering in Larkana on April 4 to mark the 37th death anniversary of its founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Though the Pakistan People’s Party is denying it, an internal communiqué of the finance department issued on Tuesday confirmed that Rs25 million would be released from provincial exchequer for the Garhi Khuda Bakhsh public gathering.

In previous years too, reports about funds from the public exchequer being diverted for such gatherings and other events related to the death anniversaries of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto have surfaced.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will address the gathering. The PPP has been making elaborate arrangements including mass mobilisation of activists of the party to ensure the success of the event on April 4. The PPP wants to put on an impressive show of power to consolidate its position as the main opposition party at the national level.

The Sindh government’s move is sure to attract serious criticism from opposition political parties, which have often complained about the lack of transparency and accountability in the provincial administration’s expenditures.

Reports of different government departments’ misappropriation and embezzlement of funds also keep surfacing and accountability agencies have become active in the province much to the ire of the PPP leadership. 

Like other dubious affairs of the Sindh government, the use of public money for the party’s gathering is also likely to be taken up in the proceedings of provincial assembly when its session resumes on April 6.

The issue might be discussed in the assembly either in the form of an adjournment motion, a call-attention notice, or a point of order likely to be raised by an opposition lawmaker. 

The communiqué of the finance department was undersigned by the section officer (B&E-VII) of the department’s secretary. 

Here the B&E stands for budgeting and expenditure while the section officer (B&E VII) is responsible for all matters relating to Board of Revenue including registration, stamps & evacuee property, subordination offices; natural calamities and other disasters; land management; declaration of drawing and disbursing officers in respect of head accounts mentioned earlier, and authentication of audit copies within the budget.

The subject of the communiqué dated March 28 is, “Provision of funds for expenditure to be incurred on the mega event of 37th death anniversary of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Ex Prime Minister of Pakistan on 4th April 2016.”

It was sent to the secretary of the general administration, and coordination department.

It read,” “The Secretary Services General Administration and Coordination Department, Government of Sindh, Karachi may please refer to his department’s U.O letter No. SOB (SGA&CD)11-23/2016 dated 25-3-2016 on the subject noted above. Pursuant to the approval accorded by the Honourable Chief Minister Sindh vide summary bearing No. PS to CS Diary No. 1698 dated 21-3-2016, Finance Department agrees to release an amount of Rs 25.00 Million (Rupees Twenty Five million only), for the expenditure to be incurred on the event of 37th death anniversary of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan on 4th April, 2016 and place the same at the disposal of secretary SGA&C Department for further placement to the Deputy Commissioner, District Larkano. The expenditure involved (Rs 25.00 million) is sanctioned in anticipation of Budgetary Provision 2015-16, and will be debitable to the Head of Account “SC21001/SC24001-Organ of State (Excl. Law Dept & Other) District Administration-LA5877-Deputy Commissioner Larkano-A039 Total General-A03970-Others-01 Others,” during Current Financial Year 2015-16, and will be met with either way by way of re-appropriation or by obtaining supplementary grant in due course of time. An audit copy of the financial sanction duly signed by the administrative secretary/principal accounting officer may please be furnished to the undersigned for authentication.” 

Copies of the communiqué have also been sent to the principal secretary of the chief minister, the Larkana commissioner; the Larkana deputy commissioner; the chief secretary’s deputy secretary of staff; and other government officials concerned. Denying the release of funds, PPP Sindh information secretary Waqar Mehdi, who is also a special assistant to the chief minister, said his party used its own resources for arranging such events.

“Not a single penny from official funds is ever used for arranging the party’s events,” he maintained.

 

MQM opposes decision

Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) leader of opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, condemned the Sindh government’s decision to spend public finances on event scheduled to be held on April 4, to commemorate the death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

He said the ruling Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) should be ashamed for using the public’s money on the party’s event. He said the Sindh government’s act had once again proved that corrupt and unfair means were being used by the ruling party to misappropriate public finances.

He said the PPP leaders should instead use their personal or the party’s finances to make arrangements for the function. The opposition leader said a resolution should be moved in the Sindh Assembly against this unlawful and ‘immoral’ act of the provincial government while other forums should also be used to raise voice against this move.