Minister Distances Himself from Gorakh Hills Audit Scandal, Blames Predecessor
Tourism Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah says no funds were spent during his tenure; blames ex-Chairman PPP MNA Rafiq Ahmed Jamali for financial mismanagement.
By Nazir Siyal / DNA
KARACHI: An important meeting regarding the Gorakh Hill Station was chaired by Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah.
The meeting was attended by the acting secretary, Director General of Gorakh Hill Station, MD Tourism, and other concerned officials.
The participants expressed grief over recent unfortunate incidents involving tourists in northern areas and offered prayers for the deceased.
Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah was briefed on the current situation of Gorakh Hill Station, including developmental works and funding, after the dissolution of the Gorakh Hill Authority.
The Minister issued strict instructions for action against corruption and irregularities in Gorakh Hill Station’s funds.
He revealed that no new budget or funds have been issued since the hill station was merged into the Department of Culture and Tourism.
Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah clarified that since the merger, no new corruption cases have surfaced.
He emphasized that the Auditor General’s report highlighting irregularities is from two years ago, during the time when Gorakh Hill operated as an independent authority.
He announced that the Culture and Tourism Department has decided to refer past corruption matters related to Gorakh Hill to the Anti-Corruption Establishment and NAB (National Accountability Bureau).
Furthermore, he stated that the recruitment of surplus employees at the hill station has been canceled and inquiries have been initiated.
Strict action is being taken against officers, contractors, and employees found involved in corruption.
With the special attention of Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, a highway-style road is being constructed to improve access to Gorakh Hill Station.
The Minister also highlighted that under the Public-Private Partnership model, providing better facilities and resources for tourists remains a top priority.
Amid a damning audit exposing massive financial irregularities at the Gorakh Hills Station Authority, while, exclusively talking to a Senior Journalist, Sindh’s Minister for Culture and Tourism, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, has publicly distanced himself from the scandal, attributing all questionable transactions to the tenure of former Chairman and PPP MNA Rafiq Ahmed Jamali.
In a formal statement, Minister Shah clarified that he took charge as Chairman of the Authority only a year ago and has not utilized even a single rupee from the Rs 250 million grant allocated to the Authority under his leadership. “No payments have been made during my tenure, neither to contractors, daily wage staff, nor to any contract employees,” he stated.
He further noted that no official meetings of the Gorakh Hills Authority have taken place during his chairmanship, reinforcing his stance of non-involvement in any of the audit-flagged transactions.
Minister Shah affirmed that while the Culture and Tourism Department’s other projects have been executed with transparency and in full compliance with rules, Gorakh Hills remains the only project under audit scrutiny. “This is precisely why I have chosen to stay away from its financial operations,” he asserted.
Turning attention to future plans, Shah emphasized his vision to develop Gorakh Hills through a public-private partnership.
He shared that, at his request, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah approved a new road project to Gorakh Hills, which will be executed by the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) with provincial government funding.
The Minister also highlighted his ongoing efforts to promote tourism, citing his recent visits to Fort Munro and Koh-e-Murree as part of a broader strategy to develop new destinations and infrastructure to boost domestic and international tourism.
The statement comes as the audit report accuses the Gorakh Hills Authority of awarding fake contracts, overspending by billions, avoiding taxes, and failing to deliver on ground despite years of funding.
The total audit-flagged mismanagement is estimated at over Rs 17 billion.
Minister Shah’s distancing signals potential political tension within PPP ranks, as accountability questions mount and pressure builds for judicial inquiry and recovery of funds misused under previous administrations.
