PAT asks Punjab govt 7 questions about public companies

PAT has asked the Punjab government seven questions about the public companies it has set up and in case answers are not provided, the party has decided to go to the court of law for the same.

A meeting held under the chairmanship of Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur demanded that record and information about the companies set up by the Punjab government in the name of ‘Sasti Rotti’, electricity, clean drinking water, forests, parking, and solid waste management should be provided in the public interest. The meeting was attended by Bashrat Jaspal, Fayyaz Warriach, Noorullah Saddiqi, Sajid Bhatti, Ishtiaq Ch Advocate, and Naeem-ud-Din Ch Advocate.

The PAT Secretary General said that a request has been made to the Punjab Information Commission under Article 19-A, adding that wealth is being looted in the name of these companies.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur also welcomed the notice of irregularities by the LHC Justice Mazaahir Ali Naqvi committed in the Safe Water Company and said that the Court should also order for the production of record, performance and audit reports of other companies, saying that mind blowing disclosures will come to the fore.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur demanded of Shahbaz government to tell:

1. Why were companies set up when there are formal departments for them?
2. Why are annual audit reports of the companies not made public?
3. Why matters related to performance of these companies are not allowed to be discussed at the floor of the Punjab Assembly?
4. Under which merit criterion were the MDs, CEOs and Directors have been recruited for appointment and what are the details of their pays and perks?
5. Why the prices of meat registered an increase of 40% after the establishment of Meat Company?
6. Under which laws are loans given to these companies and then written off?
7. How many projects have been set up under the power sector companies?

The PAT Secretary General said that the Sharif family has a vast experience of looting national exchequer in a scientific manner. He said that these companies were also established with an ulterior motive like the Offshore Companies and these companies are not answerable to anyone except Hamza Shahbaz and the Chief Minister. So much so the cabinet and Assembly are also not aware of the doings of these companies.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said that it is right of the people to keep themselves well aware of the national finances and where they are being used. He said that we have served a 7-day notice on the Punjab government within which to supply information regarding budgetary allocations, audit and performance reports and legislation about these companies, failing which we will take them to the court of law. He said that the Chief Minister has kept all the business projects under his tight control whereas social sector projects such as education and health have been handed over to the private sector. He said that the people will continue to bear the consequences of the personalized governance model of the Sharif family for a long time.