SHC seeks NAB report on inquiry into projects of new PA building, MPA hostel

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) special prosecutor to submit a progress report on the inquiry into alleged corruption in the construction of the new Sindh Assembly building and MPA hostel as well as illegal and out-of-turn appointments in the assembly.

The direction came on a petition of Muttahida Qaumi Movement executive committee member Afshan Mansoor who sought an inquiry into corruption in the construction of the new assembly building, MPA hostel’s new building and illegal appointments in the Sindh Assembly Secretariat.

Filing an application for compliance with court directives, the petitioner submitted that the SHC had on January 21, 2020 disposed of the petition following a statement of the NAB special prosecutor that complaint proceedings had been placed before the competent scrutiny meeting and an investigation officer had been authorised to do the needful and the matter was under progress.

A counsel for the petitioner submitted that after the statement filed by the NAB special prosecutor and disposal of the petition, no further progress had been made in the proceedings despite the fact that the petitioner made several representation to the NAB authorities and as such it was necessary to call the latest report from NAB as the matter pertained to 2017 and till date no progress had been shown in that.

The high court was informed that the matter was of public importance as officials of the Sindh Assembly were involved in high-level corruption and misused their authorities by making illegal appointments and out-of-turn promotions.

The petitioner requested the high court to call a progress report in the matter from NAB and pass appropriate orders. The NAB special prosecutor sought further time to call a report from the investigation officer.

A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro directed the NAB special prosecutor to call a progress report from the investigation officer by April 13 and observed that relevant persons from NAB shall also appear before the court on the next hearing.

The petitioner had earlier submitted in the petition that the project of the new Sindh Assembly building was approved in violation of all the relevant rules and regulations while the cost of the construction of the MPA hostel was increased from Rs2,700 million to Rs11,400 million and half of the payment, Rs6,720 million, had been paid to the contractor despite the fact that 50 per cent of the project was not complete yet.

She had alleged that the finance department was allocating funds and the accountant general department was making payments to the contractors without any objections. According to her, illegal appointments and out-of-turn promotions were made in the Sindh Assembly Secretariat in violation of the Supreme Court orders.

The high court was requested to conduct an inquiry into the corruption in the construction of the new assembly building, residential secretariat of the Sindh Assembly speaker and deputy speaker, and under-construction MPA hostel as well as illegal appointments in the assembly secretariat.