KP’s crackdown on corruption ineffective; cases keep emerging

PESHAWAR: Days after a collector was arrested in Lower Dir for corruption in Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), now financial and administrative irregularities have emerged in the Sports Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Anti-Corruption Department has started an investigation and records have been sought from the Sports Department. The investigation began after complaints of financial and administrative irregularities were received by the authority.

Anti-corruption dept arrests Lower Dir collector for financial fraud

Specifically, complaints were received about the use of substandard materials in the construction and repair of sports fields.

The Anti-Corruption Department has sent a questionnaire containing 27 questions to the Sports Department, seeking details of all funds spent in May and June 2024. Director General of the Sports department has been made the respondent for the queries.

According to documents, seen by HUM News, the details of recruitment, procedure and approval of daily wage employees have also been sought, along with information on income and expenditure of three sports complexes, and details of five bank accounts.

The Anti-Corruption Department has also asked for details of all construction and maintenance works and contracts in the department including the DG office, documents showed.

In the questionnaire, the authority has instructed for the provision of information related to the project of construction of 1,000 sports grounds in the province.

Despite repeated efforts, Provincial Sports Minister Fakhar Jahan refrains from giving a response on the issue.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to revive anti-corruption authority; act without bias

Earlier in February, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had directed for stricter crackdown against corruption in the province. The government is also in the process of bringing new legislation to revive the anti-corruption authority.

CM Gandapur has directed to finalise the proposed ‘Anti-Corruption Force Act’, under which the Anti-Corruption Establishment will be replaced by an “Anti-Corruption Authority”. The provincial government also approved the establishment of ‘anti-corruption force’.