Quetta, Monday 22, 2024: The minority leaders have strongly criticized the government and the Minority Affairs Department, highlighting severe issues of corruption and misuse of allocated funds. This was revealed in a press conference chaired by Suleiman Gul, Chairman of the Minority Educational Welfare Organization, where various concerns and facts about the funds of minority representatives and their utilization were brought to light.
During the press conference, it was disclosed that a case has been filed in the Baluchistan High Court regarding the failure to spend minority community funds on their welfare. For several years, funds meant for education, health, housing, and other basic needs of the minority communities have been misused in unnecessary projects. The case text mentions that the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for 2024/25 has re-included such unnecessary projects from previous periods.
The Baluchistan High Court has issued notices to key officials, including the Chief Secretary Baluchistan, Secretary Finance, Secretary Human Rights, Chairman Baluchistan Minority Committee, former provincial minister Khalil George, Senator Dinesh Kumar from the minority community, Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Kumar, and others.
According to Suleiman Gul, during the previous regime, each Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Baluchistan received funds exceeding eight billion rupees, amounting to a total of over 35 billion rupees for minority representatives. Gul stated that most of these funds were squandered on unnecessary construction, renovation, and fake projects related to churches and temples. These projects involved excessive expenditure under the guise of security and surveillance, installation of tough tiles, solar panels, and bulbs, among other organizational matters.
Suleiman Gul claimed that the government has failed to provide basic human rights to minorities and vowed to continue the investigation into the corruption within the ministry. He stressed the need for a thorough audit and proper utilization of funds meant for the welfare of minority communities.
Echoing similar concerns, Adnan Arif Jahangir emphasized that the government has fallen short in safeguarding minority rights. He demanded that the activities of the Minority Affairs Department be halted and called for the department to operate strictly within its mandate. Jahangir urged higher authorities to intervene and ensure justice for the minority communities.
The press conference has brought to the forefront the pressing issue of corruption and mismanagement of funds, highlighting the need for accountability and transparency in government dealings concerning minority welfare.
