LAHORE - Head of PTI’s Anti-Corruption and Accountability Committee Shafqat Mahmood on Sunday brought some facts before the media about alleged embezzlement of millions of rupees by the Punjab government in purchase of medicines and metro bus projects.
Addressing a news conference here, the PTI leader said that corruption to the tune of Rs1.50 billion was committed in the purchase of five medicines.
Giving details substantiated by facts and figures, Mahmood pointed out that the Punjab government purchased Amoxicillin Suspension (used for bacterial infections) for Rs60 while the KP government purchased the same medicine from the same company at Rs33 only. Similarly, he said, the Punjab government purchased Diclofenac Sodium Tablet (50mg) at the rate of Rs3.75 per tablet whereas the KP government purchased the same at the rate of Rs0.31 only.
Mahmood said the Punjab government purchased Diclofanec Sodium (Injection) at the rate of Rs17.22 while the KP government purchased the same at Rs4.04 only. Likewise, he said, the Punjab government purchased Omeparazole capsule (20mg) at the rate of Rs9.29 whereas the KP government purchased the same at Rs1.09 only. The Punjab government purchased Ceftriaxone (500mg) at the rate of Rs79 per tablet while the KP government purchased the same at Rs23 only, he concluded.
He was accompanied by senior party leaders Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, Mian Aslam Iqbal and Ayesha Chaudhry.
The PTI leader alleged that Rs1.71 billion were embezzled by the provincial authorities in just one year in purchase of medicines.
Citing a report compiled by the Auditor General of Pakistan, Mahmood said that an amount of Rs6 billion was embezzled in the execution of Islamabad and Rawalpindi Metro Bus projects.
He demanded that the chief justice of Pakistan take suo motu action on corruption of the Punjab government. He urged the NAB authorities to start investigation into the corruption committed by the government. Replying to a question about the caretaker set up, he said that a meeting between Syed Khurshid Shah of the PPP and Shah Mahmood Qureshi of the PTI was expected soon to develop consensus on certain names from opposition’s side.
