Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has given a green signal to take action against former federal minister Rehman Malik in a corruption case in Safe City Project, it was revealed on Sunday.
Federal Investigation Agency will present its report to the Ministry of Interior about the alleged embezzlement of billions of rupees by the former federal minister.
Rehman Malik, after taking charge of the ministry, set cost of the project at over Rs 11 billion and handed over the contract to a Chinese firm in violation of rules and regulations. When contacted, Malik refused to comment on the allegations.
Legal expert Babar Sattar told a local news agency that Supreme Court had termed the project null and void and directed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to take action. As per SC’s directives, the government and the Ministry of Interior were supposed to be take action on the Supreme Court’s directive but the work on the project was resumed. “A contempt of court petition has been filed in the apex court,” Sattar said.
The project was initiated by the PPP-led government and spearheaded by the Interior Ministry headed by Rehman Malik. The project would equip law enforcement agencies with a computer aided dispatch system as well as software used for security purposes including facial recognition and vehicle management systems.
The Safe City project was approved on December 29, 2009.
The project was challenged in the Supreme Court in August, 2012. After the PML-N came to power, the project was renegotiated as per rules with the concerned Chinese company. Later NAB also gave clearance to the project.
