Murad Saeed questions spending of Rs24 trillion loan

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed Thursday announced to volunteer record of all the debts taken under the division before the Prime Minister Accountability Commission. Talking to media at a presser, he said the information to be submitted before the commission was pertaining to debts taken in lieu of roads and then allegedly plundered by the prior regimes for the last ten years. “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s 22 years’ struggle has been based on the stance to hold the corrupt political elite and looters of national exchequer accountable and it is the demand of every Pakistani. However, not only they should be held accountable rather the looted money needs to be retrieved in the next step,” he added. He said that Rs24 trillion loan was taken and questioned that where it was spent. Murad said, “Since I assumed the charge of the Ministry of Communications (MoC) as per prime minister’s austerity drive during the first month 219 extra cars under the ministry have been auctioned.” He mentioned that the National Highways Authority (NHA) had managed to increase its revenue to Rs11 billion by taking revolutionary measures whereas Rs6 billion improved revenue of the Ministry of Postal Services as compared to the last year’s was made. “I have also presented the performance of the former minister for postal services as how many public cars he had utilised where I do not use a single one of the Ministry of Postal Services. I either don't take additional salary of the ministry of postal services and we have also abandoned entertainment in the Ministry of Communication,” he declared. Murad informed that through the special audit of NHA around Rs4.3 billion had been recovered by strengthening departmental audit committee which was a great achievement.

Referring to former Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s alleged corruption in Multan Sukkur Motorway, he said, “It is time to make him accountable as the case is under trial in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the similar evidences related to the case have been given to NAB. These will also be submitted to the Prime Minister Accountability Commission where the key investigation agencies and security departments will probe the case.”

Murad went on to say that there were proofs available in fake accounts case as blue eyed contractors were given consignments who in return deposited millions of rupees in these accounts. All of these projects, he said, were going beyond the PC-I cost on completion. “Within one week MoC will provide the data of irregularities to the commission which are not under trial yet,” he informed.