Income from Logar public park goes to private pockets

PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): Pajhwok Afghan News findings show the income of a car park near the police headquarters of central Logar province has been going to personal pockets for the last five years.

The park built on a government’s land is located near the police headquarters in Pul-i-Alam, the provincial capital.

Around 100 cars and bikes and over 50 bicycles are daily parked at the place. Cars are charged 30 afghanis, bikes 20 afghanis and a bicycle is charged 10 afghanis at the park.

If 40 cars, 60 bikes and 50 bicycles are stopped in the park on average a day, the daily income amounts to 2,700 afghanis, monthly 81,000 and annually 972,000 afghanis.

Based on calculation, the park collected 4,860,000 afghanis over the last five years, but the money went to personal pockets instead of government kitty.

Nasir Ahmad Lalizai, Pul-i-Alam mayor, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the municipality had two car parks and their income went directly to the government.

“The park near the police headquarters is built on the municipality land and without permission and its revenue goes to personal pockets,” he said.

Without naming anyone, he said the income of the park was going to two officers of the police headquarters.

Lalizai said he had shared the issue with police officials several times but failed to elicit a convincing response. “These kinds of activities are illegal and a national treason,” he said.

He added building car parks was only the authority of the city municipality and should be based on rules.

Ashuqullah who was sitting in a booth at the entry gate of the park, said, that he had been working in the park for the last eight years and received 8,000 afghanis as monthly salary.

The ticket he issues to car owners for parking is written with ‘Car parking for visitors of police headquarters, charge 30 afghanis’

Ashuqullah said, “More than 100 cars, bikes and bicycles are parked here on a daily basis, cars are charged 30 afghanis, bikes 20 Afghanis and bicycles 10 Afghanis.”

He said he gave the money he collected from the park to a person in police headquarters. However, he did not provide more details.

Sediqullah, a resident of Pul-i-Alam city, said, “We are satisfied with this park, when I have work in the police headquarters, I park my car here for 30 afghanis.”

Logar police chief Gen. Rahimullah Mukhlis said he was unaware whether the income of the park went to the government or not.

“This park was built five years ago, all the income of this park goes to personal pockets,” he said, adding that he was informed about the issue two days ago and he ordered the park to be closed.

Mukhlis said he would investigate the issue and share their result with the media later.

Mds/ma