The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) recently completed probe into the illegal trips having being taken by ‘unofficial fliers’ using helicopters since 2008 belonging to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, and revealed that its private use has cost the exchequer Rs90 million during the phase.
It was also revealed that about 2,000 people, including, and related to the past and sitting members of provincial and national assemblies, members of political parties, government employees, and media persons, had travelled in such helicopters.
In a clear reaction to the publicising of such brazen corruption of people entrusted with our resources, the KP government has amended the rules of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975, retrospectively legalising the aforementioned illegal use of the helicopters at the expense of taxpayers’ money; a clear-cut example of a government covering up its own intentional misuse of laws.
Politicians keep talking about accounta- bility, but when such accountability is carried out, the rules are amended retrospectively. Of course, all this is done in the name of public and the country.
JUWAYRIYAH QAZI
ABBOTTABAD
