Peshawar: A significant corruption scandal has emerged within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism and Culture Authority, where millions of rupees have reportedly been misappropriated under the pretext of event management. Despite the cancellation of the Shandur Festival, the department has allegedly spent 130 million rupees related to the event.
Sources indicate that Tashfeen Khattak, the private secretary to the government advisor for tourism, along with the department’s secretary and director general, received substantial kickbacks. It has been revealed that Deputy Director Haseena Shaukat, who oversees event coordination and procurement, has effectively taken control of the entire department. Furthermore, reports suggest that Haseena Shaukat has orchestrated a systematic media campaign against tourism advisor Zahid Chanzeb, utilizing a research officer named Sanam Basheer to garner favor and sympathy from government officials.
The department is reportedly planning to dismiss around 90 contract employees under the guise of budget deficits. Meanwhile, Director General Tashfeen Haider has allegedly signed a contract with a law firm run by Babar Durrani, agreeing to pay 10 million rupees annually for legal services. This is in stark contrast to the previous arrangement with Advocate Furmaanullah, who delivered 100% performance for just 40,000 rupees a month. The current government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, has entrusted Zahid Chanzeb with the responsibilities of advisor for tourism and culture. However, credible sources suggest that Deputy Director Haseena Shaukat, who was previously appointed by a high-ranking government official from a local hotel, is effectively managing the department.
The Shandur Festival, which was originally approved for funding of 160 million rupees, was canceled in June. Despite this, reports indicate that 130 million rupees have already been spent, with Deputy Director Shaukat hinting at the involvement of the advisor’s private secretary and other senior officials in the misallocation of these funds. The department appears to be divided into two groups of employees. One group consists of 65 employees whose contracts expired in 2023 and are fully protected by the advisor and departmental officials. In contrast, 89 employees hired on three-year contracts face the threat of termination.
Haseena Shaukat is alleged to be openly threatening employees, asserting her intent to terminate them. Meanwhile, the conspiracy behind the media trials against the advisor has been exposed. Evidence suggests that Shaukat failed to fulfill financial commitments to those who supported the media campaign against Zahid Chanzeb, leading to revelations about her true character.
Reports indicate that Haseena Shaukat has been leveraging the name of another female officer, who is already sidelined, to advance her agenda against the tourism advisor. Holding dual responsibilities for event coordination and procurement, Shaukat manages both event execution and purchasing, raising further concerns about potential corruption amounting to millions of rupees. Civil society organizations are reportedly preparing to file a request for an anti-corruption inquiry into these matters soon.
