Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Babar Saleem Swati, has claimed that the issue is not limited to Rs 40 billion in Kohistan. He stated that, if investigated fairly, the scandal could amount to more than Rs 500 to 600 billion.
Swati chaired the PAC meeting on Wednesday in Peshawar. The meeting was attended by the Chief Minister’s Advisor on Finance, Muzamil Aslam, the Opposition Leader Ibadullah Khan, and several other key members.
Addressing the committee, Swati revealed that an agency had already recovered 50 per cent of the misappropriated funds in the case. He called for a special audit, stressing that a major financial scam had occurred in the province.
He further emphasised that the audit should be completed within six months, remarking that such large-scale corruption had never been seen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before.
During the meeting, Finance Minister Muzamil Aslam expressed frustration, saying, “Ahmed Karim Kundi keeps targeting me. I’m not being allowed to speak.”
In response, Swati stated, “This is not a political game. All elected representatives are present here — point scoring should be avoided.”
Swati also alleged that four departments — Communication and Works (C&W), Finance, the Accountant General’s Office, and a bank — were involved in the case.
