Qamar Zaman Squash Court AC Mystery: RTI Reply Raises Questions Over Missing Unit

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator

ESHAWAR: A response from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate to a Right to Information (RTI) request regarding air conditioners installed at the Qamar Zaman Squash Court, issued after almost a year, has raised questions over the department's records and the current ground situation.

According to the written response provided by the Sports Directorate, seven air conditioners were installed at the Qamar Zaman Squash Court.

However, the current physical situation at the court does not match the information provided in the RTI response. Only six air conditioners are currently installed at the facility. Four are installed on one side of the court, while two are installed on the opposite side.

Available information indicates that seven air conditioners were originally installed, but one was subsequently removed from the court. Its current location is not known.

The issue becomes more significant because the RTI application was filed after one of the air conditioners had already been removed. Despite this, the Sports Directorate responded almost a year later by stating that seven air conditioners had been installed at the court.

The central issue is therefore not simply the difference of one air conditioner. The more important question is whether the department's official record accurately reflects the current status and location of a government asset.

If seven air conditioners are still recorded as assets of the Qamar Zaman Squash Court, the Sports Directorate should clarify where the seventh unit currently is. If it was transferred to another government facility, office or store, there should be a documented transfer order and a corresponding entry in the stock or fixed-asset register.

Key Questions for the Sports Directorate

·         Where is the seventh air conditioner that was originally installed at the Qamar Zaman Squash Court?

·         When was it removed?

·         Who authorised its removal?

·         Was there a written order for its removal or transfer?

·         Was the air conditioner transferred to another government facility, office or store?

·         Is its current location recorded in the stock register or fixed-asset register?

·         On what official record did the Sports Directorate rely when it stated in its RTI response that seven air conditioners were installed?

·         If seven units remain listed as assets of the Qamar Zaman Squash Court, where is the seventh unit physically located?

·         Why did the department report seven installed air conditioners when the RTI request was submitted after one unit had already been removed?

The air conditioners were installed at the Qamar Zaman Squash Court to provide better facilities for players. Therefore, once a government-funded asset is removed from the facility, its location, custody and accounting record should be clearly traceable.

At this stage, it would be premature to conclude that any financial or administrative wrongdoing has occurred without examining the underlying records. However, the discrepancy between seven air conditioners reported in the official RTI response and six currently found at the facility warrants a clear explanation from the Sports Directorate.

The department should ideally make available the relevant procurement documents, installation records, stock register, fixed-asset register and any transfer or removal order so that the status of the seventh air conditioner can be independently verified.

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