Govt Appoints Ahad Khan Cheema to Probe Metro Bus Delay

The federal government has appointed Ahad Khan Cheema to investigate the delayed launch of the Islamabad Metro project that has been pending for four years.

Sources said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered the inquiry on 14 April, prior to Cheema’s recruitment. The premier is slated to inaugurate this project this week and had ordered the CDA to complete the project by today.

Commenting on the investigation, Cheema tweeted,

Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited Peshawar Mor Metro bus station at 7:00 am to review the on-ground progress. The project initiated by PML-N in 2017 was planned to be completed in 2018 but delays occurred. The PM has ordered an inquiry into the delays.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) released a press statement on 10 March, revealing that the third-party pre-shipment inspection of buses for the Metro project had been completed in China and the buses would reach Pakistan within 20 days. It added that the trial run of the project would be conducted in the first week of April.

The federal and provincial governments are allocating billions of rupees as subsidies to operate the Metro and Speedo buses. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has a staunch stance on giving untargeted subsidies and recently raised concerns about Pakistan announcing untargeted subsidies on petrol and electricity.

Cheema was recently exonerated by the Establishment Division from the charges against him in the Charge Sheet/Statement of Allegations.

The corresponding document reads:

Consequent upon finalization of the disciplinary proceedings initiated in terms of Rule 9 of the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020 vide Order of Inquiry of even number dated 24.09.2021, The Secretary Establishment Division, as Authority in terms of Rob 2 (1) (c) of the Rules ibid read with Rob 6 of Civil Servants (Appointment, Promotion, and Transfer) Rules, 1973, has been pleased to exonerate Ahad Khan Cliccma (PAS/BS-19), from the charges/allegations leveled against him in Charge Sheet/Statement of Allegations of even number dated 24.09.2021 in terms of Rule 16 (5) of the Rules ibid.