Webdesk: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi clarified his flour scheme corruption allegations on Tuesday after the Punjab government strongly rebuked him.
The ex-premier claimed Rs20 billion embezzled from Punjab’s free flour distribution scheme. The interim government demanded proof from Abbasi.
“I didn’t talk about any corruption but about the system,” the veteran politician told reporters outside an accountability court today.
The province’s most corrupt government was Usman Buzdar’s.
Punjab food department corrupt. He said Punjab’s interim government isn’t corrupt.
He repeated that 25% of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s poor funds embezzled.
Abbasi added that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should run the elections, not PML-N.
“The parties who want to take part in the polls will participate,” the former premier said.
He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had “ill intentions” in both dialogues.
“Do politics if you want, but the country won’t run like this,”
Abbasi’s claims
Abbasi recently said the country’s system “so corrupt and outdated” that it couldn’t deliver.
He said “but today is the time when we have to look for honest officers.”
Abbasi asked what the poor got from the federal and provincial governments’ Rs84 billion subsidy for free flour during Ramazan.
“More than Rs20 billion stolen in the government’s free flour scheme,” he claimed.
Interim setup’s response
The interim government called the allegations “false and fabricated” on Monday.
Punjab’s Information Minister Amir Mir denied Abbasi’s claim about the provincial government’s free flour distribution programme, saying it had helped millions of beneficiaries.
“There wasn’t even an ounce of corruption,” the minister said, adding that the claims damaged their credibility.
Mir said Punjab’s most successful scheme provided free flour to 30 million people during Ramzan. He added that federal and provincial governments funded the programme.
The minister lamented that the PML-N’s internal divisions targeting the scheme and urged the party’s stalwart to either apologise or provide evidence.
The caretaker Punjab government is transparent and impartial and can account for every flour scheme penny. The provincial minister said it cannot accused of corruption.
