• PM seeks names of senators for JCP
• Opposition leader proposes joint resolution seeking Senate completion

ISLAMABAD: The PTI came under fire in Senate for allegedly using billions of rupees obtained in graft in the BRT project in 2018 elections, its alleged links with outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and incre­asing Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa’s debt to Rs1.5 trillion from Rs 97bn in 2013.

The serious allegations were levelled by ANP chief Aimal Wali Khan while speaking in the House on Tuesday.

Tracing the money trail, Mr Aimal alleged that PTI’s election campaign in 2018 was funded by the amount siphoned off from the Peshawar BRT project. He explained that the project’s cost was raised from Rs14bn to Rs100bn.

At least Rs32bn had been embezzled in the project, he said, adding that the money was first transferred to PTI’s accounts being operated in the US via Dubai before being transacted back to the accounts in Pakistan for general elections.

While lending strength to the allegation of PTI’s open support to the banned TTP, the ANP senator recalled that the TTP commander had issued a statement in 2013 in Waziristan that the PTI government would be “acceptable” to it.

Referring to the cipher controversy, Mr Khan said PTI’s narrative that began with accusing the US of conspiring to throw Imran Khan out of power had been exposed with the party thanking the 61 American senators who sought his immediate release from prison.

He then chided the PTI for accusing two of its senators — Saleem Rehman and Zarqa Suharwardy — of “supporting” the 26th amendment. “What is the criterion? They were absent and did not vote,” he remarked, and asked the PTI to apologise to its senators.

At this, leader of opposition in Senate Shibli Faraz said the ANP chief had not right to discuss PTI’s internal matter and, on another occasion, objected to the “inflammatory” remarks which may vitiate the environment.

Mr Faraz was on his feet when the quorum was pointed out by Senator Hidayatullah.

Irked by the move, he called it a “fixed match”, deploring that Mr Khan exited the hall after passing “venomous” remarks though he had promised to stay and listen to his response.

When the proceedings resumed, Senate chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani was in the chair to inform the House that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has written a letter seeking names of senators for the Judicial Commission of Pakistan.

The PTI senator said consultations on the matter were underway.

While responding to the ANP chief’s allegation, Mr Faraz said Mr Khan’s party in KP was fast losing political space, which was a reason for his election from Balochistan.

The opposition leader noted that the delay in holding Senate elections in KP sent a wrong message, regretting that the province was being deprived of its representation only to prevent PTI from gaining strength with 10 elected representatives from the province. He said the Nati­onal Assembly, too, was incomplete, awaiting ECP’s notification as per court order.

WhatsApp hacking

Although Question Hour was not held on Tuesday, the interior ministry — in details provided to the Senate — said that around 1,500 WhatsApp accounts have been hacked across the country since July 1, adding that FIA had recovered some of the accounts, while work to recover the others was underway.

“FIA’s Cybercrime Wing (CCW) had received 1,426 complaints related to hacked accounts since July 1,” the ministry said, adding that the figure did not include users who had not reported compromised accounts.

It said 549 hacked accounts were successfully restored from the registered complaints, while the CCW was currently processing a further 877 complaints, with 20 cases escalated to formal inquiries.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2024