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Friday, December 06, 2013SC orders forensic audit of Balochistan uplift schemes
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: Announcing its judgement in the case regarding misappropriation of development funds by the former coalition government of Balochistan led by Nawab Aslam Raisani, the Supreme Court has ordered that the government of Balochistan, being the executive authority, must, under the law, ensure forensic audit of leftover 75% projects/schemes.
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, observed, “On receipt of the audit report, the matter should be taken up with the civil and criminal law enforcing agencies to ensure that delinquents, who have allegedly indulged in corruption and corrupt practices, are dealt with strictly in accordance with law so that it may serve as a deterrent for such like minded persons in future as well.”
The court noted that there is yet another painful aspect of the matter, that the provincial government under PWP–I allocated an amount of Rs 30 million per year for each MPA. “However, as per the material available on record, such amount was spent by the departments in a non-transparent and illegal manner. In some of the cases, as is evident from the contents of the report, concerned authorities entrusted the funds of PSDP or those arising out of the fund/budget allocated to MPAs to the departments or the executing agencies of their choice without any justification,” it added. The court said that the present situation in Balochistan runs contrary to Article 3 of the constitution, which provides that the state shall ensure the elimination of all forms of exploitation.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk