KARACHI: The Pak Sarzameen Party on Thursday released the first of the many installments of a "White Paper" on the alleged corruption of the former mayor of Karachi, Wasim Akhtar, and four district chairmen of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P).

PSP Vice Chairman Dr. Arshad Abdullah Vohra released the first part of the "white paper" at a press conference at the Pakistan House. Members of the Central Executive Committee and the National Council of the PSP were also present on the occasion.

The white paper issued by the PSP said that despite receiving more than Rs1.70 billion for cleaning 26 drains in four years, Pakistan's economic lifeline continued to sink in the overflowing drains. The white paper said that the KMC received more than Rs14 billion from the District ADP and raised Rs4.76 billion from its own resources. As per the calculation, some 945 development projects could have been constructed in the city of Karachi.

In addition, out of 209 union councils in Karachi, MQM held 130 UCs, each of the 130 union council chairmen received Rs24 million in the last four years at the rate of Rs500,000 per month. So in four years 130 UC chairmen received Rs3.12 billion, which is in addition to the district ADP and the KMC's generated revenue of Rs18.91 billion which the civic body received for development works only.

According to this calculation, MQM's local bodies' representatives received about Rs21 billion for development works in Karachi. KMC received more than Rs37.70 billion separately in terms of salaries and pensions of employees, most of which was spent on inactive and ghost employees. Ghost employees are a major cause of corruption in the KMC, which requires a transparent and impartial investigation.

Elaborating further on the White Paper, Arshad Vohra said that KMC has 28 departments under its purview which are the source of huge revenue. In the last four years, these departments became the worst examples of corruption and bad governance that have become part of history. Rs19.7 million was spent annually on salaries of inactive employees of City Aquarium which is closed and dysfunctional for years.

The Veterinary Department manages all the cattle markets and meat shops in Karachi, from which an average of Rs2 billion could have been easily earned in four years, "but the corrupt officials only filled their own pockets", alleged the white paper.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020