Shahbaz, Khattak debate Peshawar BRT ‘corruption’

LONDON/ISLAMABAD: The top leadership of the ruling and opposition parties embroiled in a Twitter spat over the alleged corruption causing delay in the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

In a late night tweet on Saturday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and opposition leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of corruption and quipped that the construction cost of the Peshawar BRT project equalled that of three BRT projects funded during the PML-N tenure.

“Cost of Peshawar Metro (still incomplete) is almost equal to the cost of Lahore, RWP, Islamabad & Multan BRTs combined,” wrote the former Punjab chief minister. He added that Lahore’s 27 kilometer metro project had a cost of Rs29.65 billion, while Peshawar’s 27.6 km project was slated for over Rs90 billion.

“No wonder PTI got stay orders from courts to prevent corruption inquiry,” he quipped referring to the Supreme Court stay orders sought by the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over Peshawar High Court verdicts.

Shahbaz dismissed PTI’s criticism of the PML-N metro projects as groundless and false accusations of corruption. ”They were derided as Jangla bus,” he wrote. “[But] these were completed in record time and provide dignified and safe travel to the citizens especially women & the daily wage earners.”

Defence Minister Pervez Khan Khattak was quick to respond to the PML-N president’s allegations. Responding to Shahbaz’s tweet thread Khattak urged him not to mislead the nation.

It may be mentioned here that the Peshawar BRT project was initiated during Khattak’s tenure as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister.

In a series of tweets, the PTI minister clarified that the total cost was actually Rs66 billion. “Cost of the [Peshawar] BRT main corridor isn’t more than that of the Lahore metro project even after a period of five years.”

He added that the main Peshawar BRT corridor and its feeding routes were completed and only the information technology (IT) system was in the processing stage. Breaking down the cost, he remarked that the additional cost including land acquisition commercial and parking plaza was around Rs13 billion.

Apart from the main corridor, he added, the project had a 5km feeding route, cost of which includes upgradation of bus stops, drainage system, roads and its beautification.

Elaborating on the specifics, Khattak said the buses had been imported from China and had the capacity to accommodate five times more passengers. He claimed that while the PML-N’s Lahore project was beneficial to only a few the Peshawar project was helping a lot more people.