LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated an inquiry and started an investigation against former chief minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi into the scandal of illegal allocation of Rs 2.5 billion government advertisements to the media without release orders during from October 1, 2022 to January 10, 2023, The Friday Times (TFT) has learnt.
NAB’s additional Director Staff Kashif Masoor, on behalf of Director General NAB Lahore, wrote a letter to the Secretary Information and Culture Punjab Ali Nawaz Malik on April 13 with subject provision of information and record under Section 27 of National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999.
NAB asks Secretary Information to provide complete record
The letter stated that in connection with a complaint verification being processed by NAB on the allegation of causing colossal loss to the government exchequer on account of unauthorized publicity and media campaigns pertaining to the different departments of Punjab government.
“It is requested to furnish a comprehensive report along with legible attested copies of complete record from 01.10.2022 to 10.01.2023 encompassing following aspects,” the letter reads.
NAB had asked the Secretary Information to share the advertisement policy of the government of Punjab, and comprehensive details about business and publicity campaigns executed by the office of the Directorate General Public Relations Punjab pertaining to all the departments of the Punjab government and their authority to purchase print and electronic media through the advertising agencies during the above period.
The NAB has also requested a record of approvals of all the advertisements pertaining to publicity and media campaigns of all the departments of the Punjab along with relevant noting portions.
“Total payment made for all such advertisements made during the said period along with any other relevant information,” the letter reads.
NAB letter to the Secretary Information
NAB also requested the Secretary Information to provide the mentioned record to Muhammad Zubair, Assistant Director, Complaints Verification Cell by April 19.
‘Parvez Elahi gave ads worth Rs 2.5 billion to favorite media houses and blue-eyed journalists’
Sources privy to this development confirmed to TFT that Elahi, during his stint as chief minister, gave ads worth Rs 2.5 billion to his favorite journalists and media houses after bypassing the government policy of giving such advertisements to media houses.
‘Elahi wanted to us these ads in his favor for elections’
Sources who belong to the inner circle of Elahi and had worked closely with him during his tenure as chief minister told TFT that he gave those ads to his favorite journalists and media houses in order to get their support during elections.
Ads worth five hundred times more were given at Elahi’s behest
“Advertisements worth five hundred times more were given under the direction of Elahi,” a senior official said. He maintained that at the time of releasing these advertisements no legal requirement of any kind was fulfilled and no release order was issued. “Due to which all of these payments are illegal,” he added.
Advertisements were given on Elahi’s ‘verbal’ orders
Sources privy to this development further maintained that advertisements were released on the verbal orders of CM Elahi. They recalled that Elahi had appointed a person named Afraz Ahmed as DGPR during his tenure. It has been decided to make him part of the investigation.
‘Azhar Mashwani’s name is also surfacing in this scandal’
Sources who are privy to this investigation and development told TFT that Azhar Mashwani, who used to run the social media of Punjab Information Department and PTI is also surfacing in this scandal.
The writer is a senior correspondent at The Friday Times with a focus on politics, economy and militancy. He also hosts the Hassan Naqvi Show on Naya Daur.
