LAHORE: The Punjab interim government has denied allegations of corruption made by former prime minister and PML-N senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi regarding the province’s free flour distribution programme.
The PML-N leader had claimed that approximately Rs20 billion had been looted from the scheme, which provided free flour to millions of people during the month of Ramadan.
Punjab interim Information Minister, Amir Mir, termed the allegations were “false and fabricated” and called on Abbasi to either apologise or provide evidence. The scheme, announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was initially marred by deaths due to overcrowding and mismanagement at the distribution points.
Despite opposition from some officials and bureaucracy, the scheme was expanded at an additional cost of Rs35 billion earlier this month.
Taking to Twitter, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that free flour was distributed among the poor people across the country with full transparency.
The free flour distribution program announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in March was aimed at providing much-needed relief to the poorest segments of society during the holy month of Ramadan. However, the program faced several challenges, including logistical and administrative issues. Citizens thronged distribution points in large numbers, leading to incidents of stampede, chaos, and snatching of flour bags at various distribution points.
Despite the challenges, the Punjab government claimed that the program was a success and provided free flour to millions of beneficiaries. However, the program also faced criticism from political rivals, with allegations of corruption and mismanagement being leveled against the government.
Former information minister and PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry called on the National Accountability Bureau to initiate an investigation into the claims made by Abbasi and hold the Punjab government accountable. He was not alone in calling for an investigation, as many citizens and civil society organizations also demanded accountability for any alleged corruption and mismanagement.
The program was initially estimated to cost around Rs53 billion to the provincial government.
