ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Transport Murad Saeed has accused former federal planning and development minister Ahsan Iqbal of receiving up to Rs70 billion commission in the Multan to Sukkur motorway project.
“In the scandal, Iqbal, frontman Javed Sadiq and the former prime minister are involved,” said the transport minister while addressing the media on Friday.
He urged the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to take action against the corrupt immediately.
“This is just the first case in many to come,” said Saeed. “I will give details of transfer of funds to Larkana, which took place during the Pakistan Peoples Party tenure.”
On Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and former senior Punjab minister Aleem Khan’s arrest by NAB, the minister said, “Aleem did not say ‘why was I ousted’ [mujhe kyun nikala]”- a quote made famous by former PM Nawaz Sharif when he was ousted by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case in July 2017.
“The PML-N finalised major projects for commission through their front man Sadiq and in the Multan-Sukkur Motorway project, the national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs70 billion,” said the minister.
He alleged that Iqbal and Sadiq, back in 2013, inked the contract to benefit an international firm-China Estate Company.
“Sadiq was made the company director in order to obtain the contract in the bidding process,” said Saeed. “Iqbal signed the contract on behalf of the prime minister.”