Metrobus bidding process was dubious; compromised national interests: Shehbaz Gill

LAHORE: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shehbaz Gill has said that bidding process of the Metrobus was not transparent and it caused huge financial loss to the national exchequer.

Addressing a press conference, alongside PTI Central Punjab President Ijaz Chaudhry, at the Governor’s House here on Wednesday, he said Metrobus project was awarded by Shehbaz Sharif government to a chosen single foreign bidder at 3.80 dollars per kilometre in 2012 while no other local or foreign company was invited to bid, adding that the PTI government had awarded the same project in 1.86 dollars per kilometre in 2020 and saved 1.94 dollars per kilometre for the country.

“The award of project without fair competition was a dishonest practice with waste of public tax money by paying high price”, he said, adding that these were the reason that :" We called Metrobus as ‘Jangla Bus’."

He said the PTI was not against Metrobus but it had opposed the process under which Shehbaz Sharif launched Metrobus in Lahore, adding that Shehbaz Sharif awarded the contract to a foreign company of his choice to run 45 buses fleet under dubious circumstances.

Gill said he had been summoned by the court on a petition for questioning the dubious bidding of Metrobus, adding that he would appear before the court unlike JUI Chief Fazalur Rehman who refused to appear before the court.

He said Metrobus belonged to people as it had been bought with the public tax money and it was owned by rulers or politicians, adding that the dubious deal of the Metrobus had proved Prime Minister Imran Khan’s standpoint that the past rulers were corrupt and insincere to the country.

Dr Gill said Shehbaz Sharif influenced the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab to get his son-in-law Ali Imran declared innocent in corruption charges, adding that the ACE was not allowed to work freely during Shehbaz Sharif’s 10 years rule as the chief minister Punjab.

“The ACE Punjab recovered mere three billion rupees between 2008-18 under Shehbaz Sharif while the same institution recovered 206 bln rupees during 27 months rule under PTI’s CM Usman Buzdar”, he added.

On honesty of purpose, he said the PTI government had put the national interest first in all matters and believed in non-interference in affairs of national institutions, adding that NAB during the PTI governmet’s two-and-a-half years had recovered 399 billion rupees while it could only recover 104 bln rupees during the past 10 years.

Dr Shehbaz Gill said the the opposition parties, under the banner of the PDM, purused enemy’s agenda of compromising national interests and weakening national economy, adding that the PTI government had put national economy on the right track.

To a question, he said the government was providing maximum relief to the public, adding that the masses had to face the challenge of dearness due to the corrupt rulers of the past who looted the country remorselessly.

To another question, Shehbaz Gill said the past rulers caused loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer through expensive deals.

Speaking on the occasion, PTI Central Punjab President Ijaz Chaudhry said the masses had rejected the PDM’s narrative, adding that the opposition parties were taking out rallies to save their corruption. However, he invited the opposition parties to take up all the matters at the floor of parliament.