LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said the Kohistan corruption scam is a disgrace for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

`This scandal has unmasked the true face of the socalled `movement for change` which falsely claimed the titles of honesty and integrity, but its certified corruption has now been exposed,` the minister said on Friday.

She said the people`s money in the KP was being wasted on absconders, while the proceeds from corruption were being distributed among cronies. `This is exactly what happens when you assign a cat to guard milk,` she said sarcastically. Ms Bokhari said the severity of this scandal could be gauged by the fact that even a convict imprisoned in the Tosha Khana case appeared to be disturbed by such massive corruption.

`For the past 12 years, KP has been plagued by systematic loot, corruption and embezzlement. The people remained deprived of basic necessities, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Meanwhile, the provincial government`s sympathies lie not with the people, but with a jailed convict currently in Adiala prison,` she added. She demanded a transparent investigation into the Kohistan corruption scandal and urged the authorities to make it public how and where the money was spent.

She said the KP administration`s rescue equipment, resources and personnel appeared to be used only for political attacks against the federal government and Punjab, rather than for saving lives.