DADU: Rampant financial irregularities, favoritism and nepotism plague the Gorakh Hills Development Authority, which had been established purportedly to transform this cool and picturesque hill station into a thriving tourist hub on the pattern of Murree, causing the authority to fail to achieve its core objectives.

A damning special audit report submitted by the Auditor General of Pakistan to the National Accountability Bureau exposed the authority’s substantial blunders, which included, among others, the authority’s inability to seek approval for its master plan, a crucial step in the development of the tourist site, said sources.

Additionally, the authority failed to acquire the proposed 284,597 acres land, which was crucial for the site’s expansion, indulged in substantial financial irregularities with Rs23 billion allegedly misused in the procurement of equipment without adhering to proper tender procedures and did not deduct income tax, said the report.

The site had also been visited upon by tragedies with numerous fatalities resulting from accidents on the substandard road leading to the hill station from Dadu district’s underprivileged Wahi Pandhi town, it said.

Situated at a height of 5688 feet above sea level, the once-promising Murree of Sindh has suffered greatly due to government’s negligence. The authority was established with ambitious goals in 2008 after its unanimous approval from the Sindh Assembly.

Its objectives included the construction of an international standard road spanning 54 km, approval of a comprehensive master plan, land acquisition, infrastructural enhancement and revenue generation through tourism.

However, the AGP report reveals stark reality of unfulfilled promises. Even after an amendment to the authority’s Act in 2013, nothing has been done so far to convert the site into a fully-fledged tourist place at par with Murree and other famous spots.

The amendment only paved the way for PPP MNA Rafique Ahmed Jamali to become chairman of the authority and the tourism minister its vice chairman but its performance remained questionable.

Despite having a budget of billions of rupees at its disposal, the PPP lawmaker has failed to achieve the required objectives of the authority and the dream of a beautiful tourist spot remain elusive till this day.

The AGP report disclosed that the authority’s affairs had been heavily influenced by personal interests rather than guided by its designated objectives. The revelation that the master plan remained unapproved and land ownership unresolved, despite billions of rupees invested over 15 years, underscored a significant failure on the authority’s part, commented the report.

The authority’s continued inability to receive green light for the master plan had cast a shadow over its endeavors and the absence of a formal framework and approved roadmap had contributed to a lack of direction in the hill resort’s development, it said.

Even prior to the authority’s inception, transparency and accountability were seemingly absent. Vehicles procured prior to its establishment lacked documented records, while several officials including former DG of the authority Naseer Ahmed Jamali, former secretary of tourism Nazir Ahmed Chakrani, Mohammad Saeed Awan and former account officer Alamuddin had reportedly failed to return the allocated vehicles, said the report.

In response to the AGP report and recent media reports about large-scale corruption at the authority, the GHDA rejected what it termed as allegations of embezzlement of billion of rupees over a nine-year period and said they were designed to malign its reputation.

In an official statement, the authority clarified that the allegations of financial misconduct totaling Rs23 billion were baseless and tantamount to blackmail as the authority had only received Rs3 billion over the past none years, which had been judiciously utilized on several projects aimed at enhancing facilities at the hill station.

About mismanagement of vehicles, the authority clarified that all vehicles had been accounted for and safely under its custody. It also dispelled allegations of illegal recruitment.

“The GHDA believes the recent viral news on social and electronic media is part of a malicious campaign aimed at tarnishing the authority’s reputation,” said the statement and added that the allegations were leveled without merit, which were nothing but a concerted effort to besmirch the authority’s image.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2023