LAHORE - The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has demanded that Shehbaz Sharif-led Punjab government provide record of seven companies, which were set up in the name of sasti roti, parking lots, clean water, energy, solid waste and forests, etc., and answer seven questions related to these companies.

At a meeting here on Friday, PAT Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said that an application had been filed to the information commission to obtain record of these companies. He said that taxpayers’ money had been looted in the name of these companies. He praised Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi for taking notice of irregularities in the Saaf Pani Company and said that record and audit reports of other companies should also be sought.

He said the Shehbaz Sharif government should answer the following questions. Why were these companies set up in the presence of government departments specifically dealing with these issues? Why were audit reports of these companies not made public? Why was performance of these companies not discussed in the Punjab Assembly? On what grounds and merit managing directors and directors of these companies were appointed? Why has formation of the meat company led to a sudden increase in the price of meat up to 40 percent? Under which rules these companies were given loans and then these loans were written off? How many power projects were completed in Punjab after formation of the Energy Company?

Gandapur said the Sharif family had a vast experience in looting the national exchequer through scientific methods. “All these companies were formed to plunder the national wealth, as these companies are accountable only to Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz. Even the cabinet and assembly members know nothing about performance of these ghost companies.”

The meeting was attended by Basharat Jaspal, Fayyaz Warraich, Noorullah Siddiqui, Sajid Bhatti, Ishtiaque Chaudhry Advocate and Naeemudin Advocate.