ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has summoned the incumbent and two former directors general of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines Department over a scandal of billions of rupees.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has admitted before the court that billions of rupees of corruption was done in the Mines Department and it has already taken action against the accused persons. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heard the petition, which has been filed by Rana Jahan Khan against the alleged corruption in the Mines Department. The bench has also sought record from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Director General Mustafa Kamal regarding the lease agreements made on throwaway price in Abbottabad for mining of phosphate.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Latif Yousafzai told the bench that former government and DGs were involved in illegal licensing and lease of the project and were responsible for losses of billions of rupees to the national kitty. Meanwhile, after the court’s proceedings, Raja Amir, counsel for the applicant, told reporters that during the tenure of former provincial minister of mines Mehmood Alamzaib a huge area was leased to Sarhad Development Authority for excavation of phosphate. When a local company started taking out phosphate, at a cost of Rs 400 million, the lease was cancelled and the project was allocated to the Mines Department.
After resigning from his post, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines Department general manager submitted an application on behalf of his wife Rukhsana for mining lease. The petitioner said that with connivance of officials the Mines Department allocated 14,900 acres of land to Rukhsana and an area of the same size was allotted to Mehmood Alamzaib’s nephew on lease. Out of the total land allotted to Rukhsana on lease, 490 acres was given to her free of cost, he alleged. He further claimed that a few months ago 600 acres of land adjacent to the land given to Rukhsana was auctioned for Rs 700 million, which shows Rukhsana’s land is also worth millions of rupees.
The petitioner said that the provincial inquiry committee took notice of this and identified the persons involved in the corruption of phosphate excavation and directed action against them. The committee had also recommended recovery of Rs 500 million from them, but so far no body has taken notice of it, although everything is on the record. – DailyTimes
