PPP, PML-N leaders reluctant to give details of development funds spendings: Fawad

ISLAMABAD, Apr 17 (APP):Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Wednesday said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leaders were reluctant to give details of development funds utilized by them.

The funds were provided to the PPP and PML-N leaders for development projects but they were hesitant to release details of the huge amounts they spent during their eras, he stated while talking to a private news channel.

Expressing serious concerns over the funds utilization by the PPP and PML-N, he said PPP could not furnish details of Rs 8 trillion development projects, while the PML-N’s last regime was also unwilling to disclose the details of Rs 112 trillion utilized during its decade long rule. Both the party leaders were now demanding more funds from the incumbent government for development projects, the minister said.

Had the funds been properly utilised in Sindh, then many districts of the province would have been developed, but unfortunately no visible progress was made there, he deplored. Similarly, he added, in Punjab, where Shehbaz Sharif was the custodian of the province, the public welfare development was not seen.

To a question the information minister said that General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf had introduced local government system in Karachi, “which was a good development.”

In replying to a question about constitutional amendment, Fawad said, there was dire need to review the 18th Amendment.

He said those elements who initiated debate on presidential system, must know that such useless discussion or tactics were just to hoodwink the people and the institutions dealing with the corruption cases of PPP and PML-N leaders.

The present government was not against the 18th Amendment but it had reservation over some points, he added.

He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), government had launched the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme, under which it would build thousands of houses in Balochistan, and federal capital to facilitate the shelter less people. Some one million houses would be constructed during the next year, he added.

The government, he said would provide land to the successful applicants besides providing loan facility for construction of houses. The PTI government was committed to improve the living standard of the people, he added.