Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s “One Thousand Sports Grounds” Project: Renamed, Cleared, and Then Exposed

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan , Digital Creator

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s flagship plan to construct one thousand sports grounds has turned into a case study of administrative failure, financial manipulation, and suspected corruption, with investigators already identifying irregularities worth at least Rs 230 million.

Launched with much fanfare after an announcement by PTI founder Imran Khan, the project was approved in the 2018–19 fiscal year as a seven-year scheme titled “One Thousand Sports Grounds,” with a total allocation of Rs 5.5 billion. The objective was straightforward: to provide basic sports infrastructure across the province and promote youth participation in sports.

Seven years on, the project has failed to meet its core targets. Instead of addressing the shortcomings, authorities first changed the project’s name, then granted financial clearance despite serious audit objections, and now face revelations of missing funds, undocumented payments, and vanished records.

According to official documents, the project suffered from weak governance from the outset. Qualified and experienced staff were not appointed, and the project was largely run through deputation-based postings. This led to widespread irregularities, resulting in more than 100 audit objections. Progress remained extremely slow, yet in 2023 the provincial government and bureaucracy approved financial clearance that, according to rules, should not have been granted. At the same time, the project was quietly renamed from “One Thousand Sports Grounds” to “Multiple Sports Grounds.”

Investigators have also uncovered manipulation of project bank accounts. Despite a Finance Department directive requiring departments to open Assignment Accounts, the project continued to operate an account in the name of the Directorate General of Sports. Instead of closing it, officials allegedly used a forged Finance Department letter to rename the account as “Strengthening of HED,” making it harder to trace. A separate new account was also opened.

Documents show that the Project Management Unit transferred Rs 238.7 million into the renamed account, but the amount was never deposited into the original official account. Large sums were withdrawn under various heads, while individual works were deliberately shown as costing less than Rs 500,000 to avoid mandatory tendering requirements.

Further red flags emerged in vendor documentation. Firms shown as recipients of payments lacked basic ownership details, including the names of proprietors. When the Provincial Inspection Team attempted to trace these firms, the concerned officials failed to provide any verifiable information.

In total, 298 sub-projects have been approved under the scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 4.3 billion. However, only 155 small projects have been completed so far. Sources say that 58 projects worth Rs 890 million, although approved, are now likely to be dropped due to disputes with contractors or unresolved land ownership issues.

Financial records show that Rs 2.17 billion has been released for the project to date, out of which Rs 2.15 billion has already been shown as spent. Questionable expenditures extend beyond construction. Fuel expenses for just three PMU vehicles were budgeted at Rs 6 million, yet 52 fuel cards were issued over the past two years, many to unrelated individuals. Payments under this head alone reached Rs 28 million. Similarly, while Rs 5 million was allocated for vehicle and miscellaneous repairs, actual spending crossed Rs 13.1 million.

The Provincial Inspection Team’s inquiry is ongoing, and at least Rs 230 million in suspected corruption has already been identified. Compounding the issue, records from 2019 to 2023 are missing from the Project Management Unit, raising further concerns about accountability.

Officials involved in the project have yet to provide satisfactory explanations, and investigators believe more financial and administrative violations may surface as the probe continues.

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