Theater of the absurd...
The business of buying Fata MNAs, senators
ISLAMABAD: A Pandora's box has opened but behind the tight walls of secrecy in a tribal jirga on the question of how the money changed hands in the Senate election last year when four Fata senators allegedly purchased eight votes in return of Rs600 million, a vote-for-sale scandal involving two cabinet members. Each senator had to pay Rs150 million to a tribal MNA negotiating on behalf of his eight colleagues but full payment has not been made by any senator. For example, one senator is said to have paid Rs140.88 million and another Rs140.55 million. Two other senators paid Rs70 million and another Rs125 million.
The issue would have remained buried under the carpet had a jirga not convened after a dispute emerged between Federal Minister for Environment Hameedullah Jan Afridi and Senator Haji Khan, in the aftermath of the non-payment of pledged amount intended for the Fata MNAs.
The jirga has met more than six times but in vain. It called the minister and the senator in person on Sunday to resolve their dispute in a separate sitting and in case of their failure, the jirga members would issue their verdict. Both sides have also paid Rs600,000 to jirga members for their services hired for resolving this dispute. Another issue being settled by the jirga is the utilisation of development funds of Senator Haji Khan by the elder brother of Hameedullah Afridi. The utilisation of funds was part of condition for supporting Haji in Senate election, a fact confirmed by Hameedullah's elder brother, Jehanzeb....(continued)
Related:
‘Development funds’: Gilani doles out Rs30m to Fata lawmakers
(Gilani isprobably helping the senators to pay off their "debts" (see first story))
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani doled out Rs30 million to eleven lawmakers from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), an area they hardly visit because of the poor security situation....
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Interestingly, most corruption cases show that such projects are executed in such a manner that the money ultimately ends up in the pockets of parliamentarians and a few ‘favourite’ local contractors.Gilani’s decision to shower money on MNAs comes amid a severe financial crunch and dwindling support for his fragile coalition government.
It is rare that a parliamentarian gets such a huge amount for development in her or his constituency....
...Yet we are told that all the funds — Rs5.61bn to be precise — allocated for Fata development were utilised in the last fiscal year. It needs to be asked how this was possible at a time of conflict....
