Ring Road investigation to be completed in two weeks: PM
Says anti-corruption team is investigating the project
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the investigation into Rawalpindi’s Ring Road project corruption scandal will be completed in the next two weeks.
An anti-corruption team is conducting an inquiry into the Ring Road corruption scandal, said PM Khan while talking to people over telephone calls Sunday.
“A powerful anti-corruption team is working on this now and in the next two weeks, we will have our findings.”
The premier said that the investigation was launched after he received information that people were being defrauded.
Last week, the Punjab government’s anti-corruption department formed a team of technical, legal and financial experts to investigate it.
A fact-finding committee of the Punjab government in its report earlier said that the map of the project was changed to benefit a few housing societies, according to sources.
The report was forwarded to Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar by Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafiq.
Former Rawalpindi commissioner Captain (retired) Mohammad Mehmood and land requisition officer Wasim Tabish unlawfully paid Rs23 million to acquire land for the road, according to the report. They facilitated a well-known family of Sangjani in doing so.
Zulfi Bukhari, PM Khan’s special assistant, had resigned from his post after he was accused of being involved in the corruption scandal.
“Owing to the allegations in ongoing Ring Road inquiry I want to set this example by resigning from office until my name is cleared up of any allegations and media’s obnoxious lies,” Bukhari had said, denying his involvement in the scandal.
Pakistan-India relations
PM Khan said he made several attempts to improve ties with India after he came to power in 2018. But, he said, he can’t resume the talks with India after New Delhi’s August 5 step.
PM Modi government had in August last year revoked the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that gave India-held Kashmir territory a special status.
We will resume talks if India restores Kashmir’s special status, said PM Khan, adding that resumption of ties with India before that would be tantamount to committing “treason”.
In April, PM Khan’s cabinet had put on hold a decision made by the Economic Coordination Committee’s (ECC) decision to allow imports of cotton and sugar from India.
The premier said he can’t resume trade with India “over the blood of people of Kashmir”.
Criticizes opposition parties
Answering a question, PM Khan said it takes time to fix the government institutions which have been ruined.
The system gets destroyed when the rulers lose moral ground, said PM Khan. He added that his government in Punjab was bringing reforms to the Punjab police.
The premier said PDM, an alliance of opposition parties, will never be able to achieve its goal because their politics revolves around their personal interest.
The opposition’s only goal is to protect their corruption, he remarked, adding that foreign media houses even made films on their corruption before the PTI came to power.