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National projects should not be made controversial: Ahsan

National projects should not be made controversial: Ahsan
July 3, 2019
RAWALPINDI (92 News) – Former interior minister and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday that the national projects should not be made controversial. The PML-N leader appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi chapter, in a probe related to Narowal Sports City. He was interrogated about the complaint of corruption in the sports project in Narowal. It is pertinent to mention here that Iqbal is accused of starting the project worth Rs3 billion illegally. Pakistan Sports Board is also accused of illegally using its authority for the construction of this project. Speaking to the journalists after appearance before NAB, the former interior minister termed that if inquiry is required then Peshawar BRT should preferred from all the inquires. He also rejected the impression about location of Narowal Sports city near to border, adding that all the statements are baseless. “We spent every penny honestly considering it trust of the nation. I monitored the projects being minister and deputy chairman planning,” he added. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PFVn_tTzVk Earlier, the NAB summoned Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) stalwart Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday (today) in a probe related to alleged corruption in the Narowal Sports City projects case. In a notification, the NAB has ordered the former interior minister to appear before its interrogation team in the bureau’s headquarters in Rawalpindi. Ahsan Iqbal is accused of causing losses worth billions to the national exchequer by initiating the Sports City project in his home constituency. According to the reports, Iqbal is accused of starting the project – worth Rs3 billion– illegally. Pakistan Sports Board is also accused of illegally using its authority for the construction of this project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcnTR3Ym5WY Last year, NAB had announced that it would initiate a probe into alleged violation of rules in the construction of the National Sports City project – just a day after its inauguration by President Mamnoon Hussain. In the previous year, the anti-graft watchdog body said – in its statement – it had received a complaint that the Narowal Sports City was constructed at a cost of approximately Rs6 billion which was a violation of rules. According to the bureau, the complainant also expressed reservations over the site of its construction, saying that the facility is located just 800 meters away from the Indian border which poses a security threat. NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal has directed verification of the complaint received against the sports city. Meanwhile, Justice (retd) Iqbal has also ordered the Rawalpindi NAB director general to verify the complaint against former Pakistan Sports Board DG Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera, who is accused of undertaking an official foreign tour after retirement. Ganjera was the project director at the Narowal Sports City. The Rawalpindi NAB DG has also been directed to verify as to how Ganjera was appointed as project director of the ports city at a time when he was holding the position of DG Sports Board, which is a violation of rules.