A Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) Member National Assembly Marvi Memon on Thursday issued 'yearly white paper' on the alleged corruption in the federal and provincial governments. The "Corruption Whitepaper 2010" with the title "A Year to be Remembered for Corruption in History," is based on the media reports about 136 cases of corruption in various government departments in the federal as well as provincial governments.
The copies of the white-paper has also been sent to Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and Chairman Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, urging them to take notice and investigate the cases, which have crippled Pakistan.
In her letter, the MNA said that the executive and Parliament must fulfil its responsibility otherwise judiciary will be burdened unnecessarily to save Pakistan from financial collapse.
She said that currently financial corruption was rampant and the 'indifferent' attitude of government to control it has made it almost impossible to reverse the financial losses to exchequer. She was of the view that the continued corruption in the government institutions has paralysed the country financially and has threatened Pakistan's sovereignty, reducing the country to a satellite-status state of the US, IMF and World Bank.
While, she added that it had been source of embarrassment for the country on international level and discouraged the investors to invest in Pakistan. She alleged that the government, instead of taking action against corruption, was engaged in victimisation of individuals and organisation for identifying corruption in its different ministries and departments.
The MNA said that she had pointed out corruption cases on many occasions and also informed the Prime Minister through letters to investigate these, but so far no action has been taken in this regard. She said the basic accountability process, however, needs to start from parliament itself. "If corruption could be eliminated and checked, then perhaps tax-paying citizens wouldn't have to be burdened with even more taxes," she added.
She said that with increasing interest rates and a faltering financial system, it is clear that the only remedy left is a clean-up operation against corruption. But it is only possible when there is a will, she added. Some important cases highlighted by the white-paper as follows:
Inter Risk, the US security company, which was banned in Pakistan, paid millions in bribes to Pakistani officials - and one staffer close to a minister has confessed that he received these bribes to issue 138 prohibited bore weapon licenses. The management of PSM has once again imported substandard iron ore from India under an alleged suspicious deal, which could be dangerous for its blast furnace. It has been disclosed that the 3,900 tonnes of iron ore, imported from India, has excess of Alumina as it is 7.9 per cent against the required 2.5 per cent, while Fe is 52 per cent against the required 60 per cent.
The tender documents floated by Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) for the import of 350,000 metric tons sugar are "tailor-made" to suit a particular Dubai-based refinery, according to some stakeholders. Just in past few months, 16 hand-picked individuals were provided grade 16-17 jobs without following the prescribed rules for appointments in the Sindh Workers Welfare Board, the same Organization that wanted to buy a controversial piece of land in a remote Karachi area for Rs 2.5 billion ostensibly to build a labour colony.
The appointments, on ad hoc basis, were made without the routine process on the orders received from the personal secretary of Federal Minister for Labour Syed Khursheed Shah. Sindh Minister for Local Bodies Agha Siraj Durrani appointed a hand-picked person in Grade 18 and 25 others - all endorsed by powerful ruling politicians - as Grade 17 and Grade 16 officials in the newly-created Sehwan Development Authority.
A land deal allegedly made by former housing minister Rehmatullah Kakar for a housing project recently launched in Islamabad under PM Housing Scheme hangs in balance after his resignation as the NAB and Standing Committee have initiated probe into the deal of 3,000 kanals because the land was purchased at an exorbitant price in an area where housing was not allowed at the time. Relevant rules and regulations were blatantly violated in Punjab for accommodating 'blue-eyed boys' by doling out tractors under 'Green Tractor Scheme', causing a loss of Rs 2 billion to the national kitty.
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