The era which ushered on 12th October 1999, prioritised Anti-corruption measures as the corner stone of all national developments and reforms. The political government of Sindh which was installed in December 2002 is keenly engaged in fight against burgeoning corruption as a continuity of the policy set forth by President General Parvez Musharraf. The political will and resolve of the present government under the leadership of Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan, Hon. Governor Sindh and Dr Arbab Rahim, Hon Chief Minister Sindh is very clearly exhibited in the improved working of Enquiries & Anti-Corruption department of Government of Sindh.
Governor & the Chief Minister of the Sindh unlike past are not relying on statements full of banal cliché aimed at eradication of the corruption, but they are determined to actually enforce good governance and curb corruption. It is the result of their sincere efforts that today Anti-Corruption Establishment of Government of Sindh is successfully moving in the right direction.
Governor Sindh has recently also involved Transparency, an international organisation to work in close co-ordination with the Sindh government and has asked them to prepare & suggest transparent systems for adoption in various Sindh Government departments.
Chief Minister Sindh has been following his onslaught against corruption by closely monitoring the measures taken by the department as well as through religious sessions organised intermittently.
The most heartening feature of the entire exercise is the fact that Anti-Corruption Establishment is not alone in war against corruption. Fortunately it has full support & cooperation of NAB Sindh in measures taken to exterminate corruption. This close liaison has created an excellent impact and has led to the detection of cases of mega corruption.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Pakistan, in 1947, inherited a weak economy and inexperienced politicians but a professional civil service. Civil servants filled the vacuum created due to lack of experienced politicians and took over governance of the country.
The British tradition of pervasive, intrusive, extractive and elitist government was maintained. The first manifestation of large scale corruption was exhibited during evacuee property allotments and disposal. It was at this stage that necessity of promulgating Anti-Corruption laws for smooth & efficient working of Government was felt.
This was all the more necessitated by the fact that immediately after its inception the Government in Pakistan was in a state of flux; the institutions were weak and fragile, official systems and procedures were in infancy and the statutory frame work was non existent.
The possibility and opportunity of playing havoc with state finances and pubic property was great. Until 1947 the general criminal law, the PPC, was only legal enactment against corruption, which covered corruption in its various forms under sections 161 to 165.
The provisions of the Penal Code, 1860 were considered to be insufficient to cope up with the seriousness of the evil. The widespread of corruption first led to the enactment of special law, the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, which incorporates substantive and procedural provisions that differ from the PPC and general criminal procedural law, the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 (Act No V of 1898).
The Pakistan Criminal law Amendment Act 1958 and then Anti-Corruption Act 1991 provided comparatively better tools for carrying out the Anti-Corruption measures. There is still a need to revise these laws and do away with the bottle necks experienced in Anti-Corruptions operations.
LECUNAE AND SUGGESTED MEASURES: There has always been a need and a strongly felt desire to curb corruption but the measures taken by successive political governments in the past fundamentally lacked the political will and commitment.
The present government has realised the issues squarely confronted by governments and individuals spearheading the crusade against corruption in the past.
THE REASONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURE IN THE PAST CAN BE SUMMARISED AS UNDER:
a) Political overtones and interference in administrative, financial and operational matters including placement of officers on political considerations.
b) Induction of officers in the government on political considerations.
c) Lopsided administrative set ups.
d) Poor remunerations to government functionaries.
e) Belated or poor legal enactments.
f) Unmatching competence of prosecution vis-à-vis high class defence lawyers.
The present government is well aware of the above reasons and has initiated measures in the right direction.
A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR ACTION WHICH ENVISAGES:
a) Strengthening of institutional structures.
b) Improving of statutory frame work; imparting greater clarity to existing laws and rule.
c) Enhancing of public and media access to bureaucratic decision making and record compliance standards.
e) Reorientation and restructuring of management practices insulating it from extraneous influences.
f) Upward revision of incentives for Public Servants. The fact that Motorway Police does not indulge in corruption proves that handsome remuneration to public servant is one of the most effective measures of checking corruption.
g) Inculcating high ethical values aiming at improvement in moral fibre of the society through our educational system.
ACHIEVEMENTS: While the Sindh Government is in the process of improving the conditions conducive to better Anti-Corruption measures as suggested above, the department within its limited resources and with all present constraints has achieved some noticeable successes in recent past.
In a very short span of time the Enquiries & Anti-Corruption Establishment of Government of Sindh has launched a two prong attack. We are on one hand addressing the problems of common man which they are confronted with in their ordinary and routine official matters, and on the other unearthing mega corruption scams eating away a large chunk of provincial exchequer.
Recently the ACE has unearthed mega corruption in land seams involving billions of rupees. It has effectively checked unauthorised disposal of wheat which resulted in the past in dearness of floor.
Very effective action has been launched against prevalent corruption in various departments such as Revenue, Food and Agriculture, Local Government, Education, Health, Excise & Taxation, Irrigation, Works & Police etc.
There is no denying the fact that there is still some darkness around but there is definitely a ray of hope, a silver lining in the sky. With the resolve and political will of the Sindh Government we are sure to achieve much better results in the near future.
(The writer is Asad Ashraf Malik Chairman Enquiries & Anti-corruption Establishment, Sindh)
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