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Friday, November 21, 2008
Inquiry ordered into Khushhal Pakistan ads scam
* Information minister tells NA Rs 240m spent on programme advertisements in print media alone
ISLAMABAD: An inquiry has been ordered into an advertisement scam concerning the Khushhal Pakistan Programme launched by the previous regime, Information Minister Sherry Rehman told the National Assembly on Thursday. She said Rs 240 million were spent on the programme’s advertisement in the print media only, adding Rs 80 million were yet to be paid to the advertising agencies concerned. She said officials at PM’s Secretariat and the Finance Ministry were involved in the scam. She assured the House that the inquiry report would be presented in the NA. About Indian advertisements running on Pakistani TV channels, she said the advertisements were being released through several advertisement agencies, earning significant revenue for the government. Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said there was no electricity load shedding in the country, except in Karachi. His remarks that six power stations had been added to the national grid system during the last five years provided an opportunity to PML-Q members to question the allegations levelled by the government against the previous regime on the issue. “Should we believe in the written reply submitted by you or the allegations you level against our government that we did nothing in the last five years to generate electricity?” asked the PML-Q’s Ameer Muqam. Ashraf said 24 power plants had been planned to increase power generation in 2009-10 through IPPs and PEPCO. Ashraf said the PPP-led government would not build Kalabagh Dam, adding it had instead decided to construct Bhasha Dam to generate 4,000 megawatts of electricity. Earlier, some NA members criticised the government for not promoting Urdu. Later, the House resumed the debate on President Asif Ali Zardari’s address to parliament. MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi said the president had himself pointed out flaws in the present system where all powers rested with the federation contrary to the ideas of founders of the nation. muhammad bilal
Courtesy DailyTimes