KARACHI – A blacklisted automobile workshop – allegedly having strong backing from the city’s major political party – is charging excessive amounts from the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) for the repair and maintenance of its official vehicles, causing a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer. Reliable sources told Pakistan Today that in many cases, the bills issued by the workshop even cross the actual price of a brand new vehicle and the practice has been continuing for the past couple of years. Interestingly, General Auto Mobil Services was blacklisted by the PQA a few years ago.
In 2009, the PQA had allocated at least Rs 10 million for the repair and maintenance of the organisation’s official vehicles. However, the PQA officials, in mutual understanding with General Auto Mobil Services proprietor Sarwar Hafeez, submitted costly vehicle-repair bills with the authority’s Transport Department. PQA Vehicle Maintenance Officer (VMO) Afaq Rasool Hashmi has submitted a repair bill of Rs 523,690 for his official Suzuki Cultus. Allegedly, the officer’s vehicle was in good running condition and in use for the past two couple without any complaints. The Accounts Department’s management also objected to the bill but the influential officer got the amount approved from the relevant authorities.
Despite the objection raised by the accounts department, the transport department insisted that the case was in accordance with the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority and complied with government’s financial rules and regulations. The sources alleged that due to the ‘discriminatory’ attitude of the authority, only influential officers with political connections have been allowed to get their vehicles repaired from the blacklisted automobile workshop, as even Grade-19 and 20 officers are given Rs 5,000 per month for the maintenance of their outdated vehicles.
