By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: Was it an attempt on the life of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry or a mere goof-up by the Islamabad traffic police?
Supreme Court Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain says that what had happened to the chief justice and his family on Monday night was something “highly unusual” that needs to be thoroughly investigated.
However, lawyers’ leader and former spokesman for the chief justice during his days of unconstitutional depositions Athar Minallah smelled a rat. He believed that the people’s chief justice was making certain strong circles uncomfortable and added that the facts of the event did not lead to the conclusion that it was just an accident.
“The people’s chief justice obviously makes strong circles uncomfortable,” Athar Minallah said without explaining which “strong circles” he was referring to but added: “The facts (of the incident) do not lead to the conclusion that it was just an accident.”
Talking to The News, he said: “There seems to be more to it that ought to be investigated thoroughly.”
When approached, SSP Islamabad Tahir Alam said the incident is being thoroughly investigated and all the necessary details about the traffic police officials involved in the incident are being gathered. Without offering any comment whether it was a mere accident as a result of the police goof up or a conspiracy to target the chief justice, he said a joint investigation team has been constituted by the Interior Ministry on Tuesday to probe the matter.
Regional Police Officer Rawalpindi Muhammad Aslam Tareen, when contacted, said: “Nothing could be ruled out.” He was surprised that how a traffic police inspector could block the VIP route when already the Islamabad police were duly informed about the arrival of the chief justice.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and his family members narrowly escaped what could have been a serious accident when an Islamabad traffic police vehicle suddenly was found blocking the way of the VIP motorcade.
As a result, over six vehicles, including five those in the motorcade, collided with each other, some even overturned. A daughter of the chief justice got minor injury while Justice Iftikhar and other members of his family remained secure.
When the motorcade entered the capital from the toll plaza near the Golra interchange it found an Islamabad traffic police vehicle parked horizontally in the middle of the road. According to one version, after the pilot vehicle of the motorcade had passed, the interrupting police vehicle was parked horizontally. The other version is that the pilot vehicle had avoided collision and so did the CJ’s car while the other vehicles could not spot the police vehicle and smashed into it. However, the fact remains that the police vehicle was blocking the VIP route.
Supreme Court Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain, when contacted, sounded worried about the accident but he was cautious in his response. He said that the police need to tell if it was an accident apparently on account of the negligence of the traffic police or something else.
He, however, said: “This is something highly unusual.” Dr Faqir, who was not willing to pre-judge the event, said the matter has to be thoroughly investigated to get to the truth.
After his restoration and for the kind of cases he is taking up and judgment handing down, the life of Justice Iftikhar is believed to be under threat from certain powerful quarters. Iftikhar Chaudhry, who had made many enemies from amongst the powerful elite of the country before Nov 3, 2007 by siding with the poor and downtrodden of the country and got deposed by Musharraf, is still making more enemies from the powerful elite. The Supreme Court’s decision to knock down the NRO has shocked many, whereas he has also taken up innumerable cases of corruption, loot and plunder of state’s wealth by a selected few.
Besides taking up the Bank of Punjab issue that involved Rs9 billion and exposed several powerful, the chief justice also took suo moto notice of the sale of the state-land in Karachi and Sindh on throwaway prices. The present Supreme Court had also cleansed the superior judiciary from over 100 PCO judges and others appointed on Dogar’s recommendations after Nov 3, 2007.
Some “top” lawyers of the country, who had multiplied their fortunes during the Dogar tenure, are also upset because of the corruption allegations levelled against them by some accused or petitioners.
Our correspondent adds: The office of the Attorney General for Pakistan on Tuesday directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad to thoroughly investigate the accident of motorcade of the chief justice of Pakistan and submit a report in this regard.
The motorcade of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry met an accident near the Islamabad motorway the other day.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was on his way to Islamabad from Lahore via motorway and the accident took place when his motorcade was hit by another vehicle coming from the opposite side immediately after leaving the Islamabad motorway, due to which vehicles of the caravan collided with each other - however fortunately, the chief justice and his family members did not sustain any injuries.
After the incident, Acting Attorney General for Pakistan Shah Khawar met Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and enquired about the whole incident.
“I have directed IGP Islamabad Syed Kaleem Imam to thoroughly investigate the matter, identifying the person whose negligence caused the incident to take place,” Shah Khawar told The News.
He said he has directed the IGP to evolve a new security plan after consultation with the chief justice of Pakistan and his office staff to avoid any untoward incident in future.
The acting attorney general directed the IGP to award stern punishment to the people held responsible for the incident and further directed to submit a progress report of the enquiry
Meanwhile, it was learnt that an investigation committee has been set up after the chief justice of Pakistan’s (CJP) motorcade met an accident. Two traffic policemen have reportedly been arrested, an in-charge inspector suspended and show-cause notice to the deputy superintendent of police (DSP) concerned has been issued. The injured were shifted to various hospitals and provided medical treatment.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry visited PIMS and Polyclinic hospitals and enquired after the health of his staff members injured in the accident.
Showing posts with label ansar abbasi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ansar abbasi. Show all posts
Loot sale of sugar mills continues unhindered
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: After an unsigned note led to the unhindered “loot sale” of Dadu Sugar Mills for just Rs90 million as against the previous offer of Rs400 million, efforts are now under way to dispose of Thatta Sugar Mills for peanuts.
Like Dadu Sugar Mills, the previous bidders in case of Thatta Sugar Mills had offered Rs235 million in November 2008 but now another singular bid of Rs80 million received by the Official Assignee is being considered for approval.
Secretary Industries Sindh Ali Ahmad Lund when contacted though said that Dadu Sugar Mills was sold last year before his appointment as secretary industries. In the case of Thatta Sugar Mills he argued that he had moved the summary for the chief minister giving all the facts. “Now it is up to the chief minister to approve its sale for Rs80 million or reject it,” he said, adding that the Sindh High Court had liquidated Dadu Sugar Mills and is also involved in the liquidation process of Thatta Sugar Mills. He, however, said that it is the government, which recommends the liquidation to the High Court.
The sad fate of Sindh Sugar Corporation’s two sugar mills in Dadu and Thatta bear testimony to the claim that the like the state-owned land, the state owned assets too are being sold at throw away prices.
The PPP’s visionary chairman, Shaheeed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, founded the Sindh Sugar Corporation to open up the rural Sindh to industrialisation bringing employment to its poor inhabitants. In 1976, Sindh Sugar Corporation was provided a capital of Rs625 million to install two sugar mills in Dadu and Thatta. The Sindh province contributed Rs367 million while the French credit amounted to Rs259 million. The total cost on these plants was Rs329m on Thatta Sugar Mills and Rs297m on Dadu Sugar Mills. The government of Sindh also provided 276 acres and 146 acres for these mills respectively.
These plants, like many others set up with foreign loans, also ran into tremendous losses and by the year 1999, the losses rose to billions. The assessment made in 1999 had put the assets of Dadu Sugar Mills at Rs627 million and those of Thatta Sugar Mills at Rs716 million. The liabilities of these mills had reached more than Rs3.0 billion of which around Rs2.0 billion, which were provided by the Sindh government, were written off.
Sources said that other creditors also renegotiated and the overall liability was reduced to Rs620 million, while the assets were estimated at Rs1.343 billion. The Sindh government decided to dispose of these mills to recover whatever it could from its sunken investment.
In 2002, the Sindh Privatisation Commission began efforts to dispose of these two mills. The reserve prices of Rs465 million and Rs408 million were fixed for Dadu Sugar Mills and Thatta Sugar Mills respectively. The Privatisation Commission could not get more than Rs156 million and Rs50 million respectively in bids for these mills.
In 2005, the Sindh cabinet expressing its dissatisfaction over the progress made by the Privatisation Commission, decided that, in view of the experience of the Official Assignee of the Sindh High Court in disposing of sick/defaulting industrial units, these units should also be got auctioned by that office through liquidation process.
The Official Assignee initiated the process in 2007, and fixed Rs350 million as reserve price for Dadu Sugar Mills and Rs230 million for Thatta Sugar Mills. The highest bid of Rs250 million was received for Dadu Sugar Mills and Rs100 million for Thatta Sugar Mills. The provincial government declined these offers.
The process was repeated by the Official Assignee and this time the bid for Dadu Sugar Mills went as high as Rs400 million which was hotly contested by three other bidders with offers of Rs390m, Rs385m and Rs370 million. The bid for Thatta Sugar Mills also went up to Rs175 million followed by three other bidders at Rs147m, Rs140m and Rs130m.
The parties, which participated in these bids, were M/s Shahjehan Cotton Factory (the highest bidder for Dadu Sugar Mills), M/s Adil Enterprises, M/s Kohsar Enterprises, M/s Unique Trading Co. and M/s Sooraj Enterprises (the highest bidder for Thatta Sugar Mills). The matter was under consideration of the provincial government when it was time for new elections.
Come the PPP government in Sindh and a strange note from a top government functionary changed the entire scenario. The sources said that the note initiated by some anonymous writer had such a mysterious affect that Dadu Sugar Mills ended up in the hands of M/s Naudero Sugar Mills (which had never participated in earlier bids) for a paltry sum of Rs90 million.
The note, which was neither named nor signed by its writer, and which worked as a command or directive from the top government functionary, desired that the Sindh cabinet should urgently address the issue of privatisation of Dadu Sugar Mills (Assets Only) on fast rack basis. It also mentioned terms for its disposal.
The top government functionary marked this anonymous note to Secretary Industries on April 27, 2008 directing him to put up relevant papers immediately. Official Assignee invited fresh bid on May 11, 2008 and by July 4, 2008, Dadu Sugar Mills was handed over to the new bidder.
So, what took the previous Sindh governments and the cabinets almost 10 years to ponder over the prices, which went up from Rs156 million in 2002 to Rs400 million in 2007 for Dadu Sugar Mills, with five active parties pursuing the bidding process, was disposed of in just two and a half months for a paltry sum of Rs90 million.
This time, surprisingly, all the previous bidders who followed the process for so many years were made to vanish, their previous bids ignored and a new player’s singular bid of less than 25% of the last highest bid was accepted without any reservation. Unlike the previous governments, the Official Assignee was not requested to hold another bidding or to negotiate with the previous bidders. The complacent provincial government was happy with the bid of Rs90 million for an asset valued at Rs627 million and for which a bid of Rs400 million had been received only a year ago. The retired official of the Industries Department, who handled this case for his political masters, Mr. Murli Manohar, has been rewarded and reemployed as consultant.
The most worrisome news is that after the unhindered loot sale of Dadu Sugar Mills, efforts are now under way to dispose of Thatta Sugar Mills. Again, the previous bidders have been made to escape, who had bid up to Rs235 million (M/s Sooraj Enterprises during this government in November 2008) and another singular bid of Rs80 million received by the Official Assignee (M/s Kohsar Enterprises in October 2009) is being considered for approval.
“Let us hope some body stops them this time,” an official source involved in the process but feeling extremely perturbed said, wondering, “Will the Sindh cabinet or Sindh Assembly wake up, stop loot sale of Thatta Sugar Mills and retrieve Dadu Sugar Mills?” Judging from their past track record, he said, perhaps they won’t. “It would again be the judiciary which will have to come to our rescue,” the official source said.
ISLAMABAD: After an unsigned note led to the unhindered “loot sale” of Dadu Sugar Mills for just Rs90 million as against the previous offer of Rs400 million, efforts are now under way to dispose of Thatta Sugar Mills for peanuts.
Like Dadu Sugar Mills, the previous bidders in case of Thatta Sugar Mills had offered Rs235 million in November 2008 but now another singular bid of Rs80 million received by the Official Assignee is being considered for approval.
Secretary Industries Sindh Ali Ahmad Lund when contacted though said that Dadu Sugar Mills was sold last year before his appointment as secretary industries. In the case of Thatta Sugar Mills he argued that he had moved the summary for the chief minister giving all the facts. “Now it is up to the chief minister to approve its sale for Rs80 million or reject it,” he said, adding that the Sindh High Court had liquidated Dadu Sugar Mills and is also involved in the liquidation process of Thatta Sugar Mills. He, however, said that it is the government, which recommends the liquidation to the High Court.
The sad fate of Sindh Sugar Corporation’s two sugar mills in Dadu and Thatta bear testimony to the claim that the like the state-owned land, the state owned assets too are being sold at throw away prices.
The PPP’s visionary chairman, Shaheeed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, founded the Sindh Sugar Corporation to open up the rural Sindh to industrialisation bringing employment to its poor inhabitants. In 1976, Sindh Sugar Corporation was provided a capital of Rs625 million to install two sugar mills in Dadu and Thatta. The Sindh province contributed Rs367 million while the French credit amounted to Rs259 million. The total cost on these plants was Rs329m on Thatta Sugar Mills and Rs297m on Dadu Sugar Mills. The government of Sindh also provided 276 acres and 146 acres for these mills respectively.
These plants, like many others set up with foreign loans, also ran into tremendous losses and by the year 1999, the losses rose to billions. The assessment made in 1999 had put the assets of Dadu Sugar Mills at Rs627 million and those of Thatta Sugar Mills at Rs716 million. The liabilities of these mills had reached more than Rs3.0 billion of which around Rs2.0 billion, which were provided by the Sindh government, were written off.
Sources said that other creditors also renegotiated and the overall liability was reduced to Rs620 million, while the assets were estimated at Rs1.343 billion. The Sindh government decided to dispose of these mills to recover whatever it could from its sunken investment.
In 2002, the Sindh Privatisation Commission began efforts to dispose of these two mills. The reserve prices of Rs465 million and Rs408 million were fixed for Dadu Sugar Mills and Thatta Sugar Mills respectively. The Privatisation Commission could not get more than Rs156 million and Rs50 million respectively in bids for these mills.
In 2005, the Sindh cabinet expressing its dissatisfaction over the progress made by the Privatisation Commission, decided that, in view of the experience of the Official Assignee of the Sindh High Court in disposing of sick/defaulting industrial units, these units should also be got auctioned by that office through liquidation process.
The Official Assignee initiated the process in 2007, and fixed Rs350 million as reserve price for Dadu Sugar Mills and Rs230 million for Thatta Sugar Mills. The highest bid of Rs250 million was received for Dadu Sugar Mills and Rs100 million for Thatta Sugar Mills. The provincial government declined these offers.
The process was repeated by the Official Assignee and this time the bid for Dadu Sugar Mills went as high as Rs400 million which was hotly contested by three other bidders with offers of Rs390m, Rs385m and Rs370 million. The bid for Thatta Sugar Mills also went up to Rs175 million followed by three other bidders at Rs147m, Rs140m and Rs130m.
The parties, which participated in these bids, were M/s Shahjehan Cotton Factory (the highest bidder for Dadu Sugar Mills), M/s Adil Enterprises, M/s Kohsar Enterprises, M/s Unique Trading Co. and M/s Sooraj Enterprises (the highest bidder for Thatta Sugar Mills). The matter was under consideration of the provincial government when it was time for new elections.
Come the PPP government in Sindh and a strange note from a top government functionary changed the entire scenario. The sources said that the note initiated by some anonymous writer had such a mysterious affect that Dadu Sugar Mills ended up in the hands of M/s Naudero Sugar Mills (which had never participated in earlier bids) for a paltry sum of Rs90 million.
The note, which was neither named nor signed by its writer, and which worked as a command or directive from the top government functionary, desired that the Sindh cabinet should urgently address the issue of privatisation of Dadu Sugar Mills (Assets Only) on fast rack basis. It also mentioned terms for its disposal.
The top government functionary marked this anonymous note to Secretary Industries on April 27, 2008 directing him to put up relevant papers immediately. Official Assignee invited fresh bid on May 11, 2008 and by July 4, 2008, Dadu Sugar Mills was handed over to the new bidder.
So, what took the previous Sindh governments and the cabinets almost 10 years to ponder over the prices, which went up from Rs156 million in 2002 to Rs400 million in 2007 for Dadu Sugar Mills, with five active parties pursuing the bidding process, was disposed of in just two and a half months for a paltry sum of Rs90 million.
This time, surprisingly, all the previous bidders who followed the process for so many years were made to vanish, their previous bids ignored and a new player’s singular bid of less than 25% of the last highest bid was accepted without any reservation. Unlike the previous governments, the Official Assignee was not requested to hold another bidding or to negotiate with the previous bidders. The complacent provincial government was happy with the bid of Rs90 million for an asset valued at Rs627 million and for which a bid of Rs400 million had been received only a year ago. The retired official of the Industries Department, who handled this case for his political masters, Mr. Murli Manohar, has been rewarded and reemployed as consultant.
The most worrisome news is that after the unhindered loot sale of Dadu Sugar Mills, efforts are now under way to dispose of Thatta Sugar Mills. Again, the previous bidders have been made to escape, who had bid up to Rs235 million (M/s Sooraj Enterprises during this government in November 2008) and another singular bid of Rs80 million received by the Official Assignee (M/s Kohsar Enterprises in October 2009) is being considered for approval.
“Let us hope some body stops them this time,” an official source involved in the process but feeling extremely perturbed said, wondering, “Will the Sindh cabinet or Sindh Assembly wake up, stop loot sale of Thatta Sugar Mills and retrieve Dadu Sugar Mills?” Judging from their past track record, he said, perhaps they won’t. “It would again be the judiciary which will have to come to our rescue,” the official source said.
Zardari forces closure of ‘Meray Mutabiq’ in Dubai
Dr Shahid faces life threats; Geo programme to be telecast from another location; bar widely condemned
Under immense pressure from President Asif Ali Zardari on the Dubai government, ‘Meray Mutabiq’, the popular programme of Dr Shahid Masood on Geo TV, was banned from being telecast on Monday night from the Dubai studios of Geo TV.
Dr Masood presented his programme from a different location without the use of his studio and technical facilities and announced that he had been stopped by the local authorities from presenting his programme.
The popular talk show host also disclosed that he had received serious life threats from PPP leaders who had told him to come to Pakistan and conduct his programme from this country and then “we will see you”.
In an exact replay of the Musharraf era, the use of influence and pressure on a foreign government by the president of Pakistan is a direct attack on the freedom of the press in Pakistan, the Geo TV management said in a statement on Monday night.
It announced that the programme will still be telecast from a different location, as was done on Monday night.The management of Geo TV condemned the action of the Pakistani authorities to use the influence of a foreign government to deny freedom of expression and the Press.
Monday night’s programme of Dr Shahid Masood featured Group Editor of The News Shaheen Sehbai and Editor Investigations of The News Ansar Abbasi, who condemned the action, and with one voice declared that the action would not force Geo TV to succumb to government pressure.
Shaheen Sehbai expressed shock and regret and said the action showed that the PPP leaders had pushed the panic button in desperation otherwise there was no reason why they could not tolerate the voice of any journalist or any TV talk show host.
Sehbai said the action by the PPP rulers was a direct negation of democracy and freedom of speech and would be resisted by all democracy and freedom loving people in Pakistan and round the world. In today’s world of instant communications, Internet, U-Tube, SMS, emails, Twitter and private phone-videos, such a ban was nothing but sheer stupidity.
Journalist Ansar Abbasi said the journalists community had fought similar bans throughout their careers, specially under dictators, and they had always won and they will again win this time. But he said the regrettable part was that the curbs had been imposed by a government which called itself democratically elected.
Dr Shahid Masood in his statement revealed that he had been receiving threats to his life and the banning of his show in Dubai was a clear proof of the desperation and panic in the government. He, however, expressed his determination to continue speaking the truth and exposing the corruption and wrongdoings of the government, without fear.
Geo TV has always raised issues of public importance and had been in the vanguard of the movement for the restoration of the judges, against corruption of public money and for democracy and rule of law.
These issues had resulted in a similar ban imposed by the former dictator General Musharraf for three months after the imposition of the Nov 3 emergency but Geo TV and its journalists and TV hosts stood their ground and finally saw the dictator disappear into the dustbin of history.
The government action against Geo TV programme was immediately condemned by a wide spectrum of political leaders, media organisations and human rights bodies. Spokesman of the PML-N Ahsan Iqbal said it was an attack on the democratic freedom guaranteed under the Constitution and his party strongly condemned it. Chairman of the Pakistan Human Rights Commission Iqbal Haider called it a crude attack on all democratic norms and a violation of constitution which will be fought with full force.
Under immense pressure from President Asif Ali Zardari on the Dubai government, ‘Meray Mutabiq’, the popular programme of Dr Shahid Masood on Geo TV, was banned from being telecast on Monday night from the Dubai studios of Geo TV.
Dr Masood presented his programme from a different location without the use of his studio and technical facilities and announced that he had been stopped by the local authorities from presenting his programme.
The popular talk show host also disclosed that he had received serious life threats from PPP leaders who had told him to come to Pakistan and conduct his programme from this country and then “we will see you”.
In an exact replay of the Musharraf era, the use of influence and pressure on a foreign government by the president of Pakistan is a direct attack on the freedom of the press in Pakistan, the Geo TV management said in a statement on Monday night.
It announced that the programme will still be telecast from a different location, as was done on Monday night.The management of Geo TV condemned the action of the Pakistani authorities to use the influence of a foreign government to deny freedom of expression and the Press.
Monday night’s programme of Dr Shahid Masood featured Group Editor of The News Shaheen Sehbai and Editor Investigations of The News Ansar Abbasi, who condemned the action, and with one voice declared that the action would not force Geo TV to succumb to government pressure.
Shaheen Sehbai expressed shock and regret and said the action showed that the PPP leaders had pushed the panic button in desperation otherwise there was no reason why they could not tolerate the voice of any journalist or any TV talk show host.
Sehbai said the action by the PPP rulers was a direct negation of democracy and freedom of speech and would be resisted by all democracy and freedom loving people in Pakistan and round the world. In today’s world of instant communications, Internet, U-Tube, SMS, emails, Twitter and private phone-videos, such a ban was nothing but sheer stupidity.
Journalist Ansar Abbasi said the journalists community had fought similar bans throughout their careers, specially under dictators, and they had always won and they will again win this time. But he said the regrettable part was that the curbs had been imposed by a government which called itself democratically elected.
Dr Shahid Masood in his statement revealed that he had been receiving threats to his life and the banning of his show in Dubai was a clear proof of the desperation and panic in the government. He, however, expressed his determination to continue speaking the truth and exposing the corruption and wrongdoings of the government, without fear.
Geo TV has always raised issues of public importance and had been in the vanguard of the movement for the restoration of the judges, against corruption of public money and for democracy and rule of law.
These issues had resulted in a similar ban imposed by the former dictator General Musharraf for three months after the imposition of the Nov 3 emergency but Geo TV and its journalists and TV hosts stood their ground and finally saw the dictator disappear into the dustbin of history.
The government action against Geo TV programme was immediately condemned by a wide spectrum of political leaders, media organisations and human rights bodies. Spokesman of the PML-N Ahsan Iqbal said it was an attack on the democratic freedom guaranteed under the Constitution and his party strongly condemned it. Chairman of the Pakistan Human Rights Commission Iqbal Haider called it a crude attack on all democratic norms and a violation of constitution which will be fought with full force.
Criminal neglect in checking of explosives
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: While the pilferage of high explosives and detonators is risking the lives of the people, the authorities are showing a criminal neglect in checking the manufacture, distribution and use of these lethal mass killer products.
Documents reveal that the ISI found a blasting company in Qillah Saif Ullah a few months back being involved in the sale of high explosives to unauthorised persons. On the basis of the ISI ís report, the company’s license was canceled by the Ministry of Industries on the recommendation of the Interior Ministry. However, the Interior Ministry got back to the Ministry of Industries within 10 days and sought the revival of the license. The Industries Ministry revived the license, ignoring a three-page charge-sheet issued by the department of explosives against the same company. Minister for Industries Watto, however, expressed his unawareness about the case whereas the Interior Ministry spokesman was not available for comments.
Documents reveal that the ISI reported early this year that the blasting company from Qillah Saif Ullah was owned by a retired Subedar Major, who purchases explosives from the POF Wah Cantt and further supplies it to a notorious smuggler, who carries out illegal explosives business.
Sensing the gravity of the report and its possible implications, the Interior Ministry wrote to the Ministry of Industries on May 28 that the company was indulged in irregularities in explosives business and that the security aspects regarding storage/sale process of explosives as per the standard operating procedures were not being adhered and remained a source of concern.
In view of this, the Industries Ministry was requested to temporarily suspend the license of the company. While the Ministry of Industries processed the matter, the Interior Ministry, just within 10 days, wrote another letter, saying that in view of the submission made by the company’s owner before the Interior Ministry, it has no objection to the revival of the license.
Before the department of explosives could feel the heat of the powerful of the ministries of industries and interior, it issued a show-cause notice to the company along with a three page charge-sheet. Some of these charges include that 23 explosives vans were used for transportation of explosives in year 2007-2008 by the company but it had mentioned only eight on its paper; no entry of vehicle was available on the company’s stock registers in which explosives were transported to place of use against the standing instruction; the stock register showed receipt and use of explosive consignments on the same date, which was logically impossible, thus showing that the company had “made fake entries in the stock registers”; there was no entry of 20,000 detonators purchased by the company in July 2007 from Wah Nobel in the company’s record; another consignment of 20,000 detonators purchased in Sept 2007 was missing from the company’s record, meaning thereby that “this consignment did not reach at your magazine and misused anywhere”; another consignment of 20,000 detonators was delivered to the company in April 2008 but in this case too there was no reflection of this consignment in the company’s stock register etc.
Following this show-cause notice, the department of explosives canceled the company’s license on July 6 but within a few weeks time, following an appeal filed by the company’s owner to the Ministry of Industries and owing to the Interior Ministryís pressure, the license was revived though the authorities remain in dark where were the licensed explosives and detonators used/misused.
Sources said that the explosive department has received on Saturday two more FIRs of seizure of vehicles carrying explosives. The matter of concern remains that the suicide bombers and terrorists involved in subversive activities are in vast majority cases using locally manufactured high explosives and detonators.
ISLAMABAD: While the pilferage of high explosives and detonators is risking the lives of the people, the authorities are showing a criminal neglect in checking the manufacture, distribution and use of these lethal mass killer products.
Documents reveal that the ISI found a blasting company in Qillah Saif Ullah a few months back being involved in the sale of high explosives to unauthorised persons. On the basis of the ISI ís report, the company’s license was canceled by the Ministry of Industries on the recommendation of the Interior Ministry. However, the Interior Ministry got back to the Ministry of Industries within 10 days and sought the revival of the license. The Industries Ministry revived the license, ignoring a three-page charge-sheet issued by the department of explosives against the same company. Minister for Industries Watto, however, expressed his unawareness about the case whereas the Interior Ministry spokesman was not available for comments.
Documents reveal that the ISI reported early this year that the blasting company from Qillah Saif Ullah was owned by a retired Subedar Major, who purchases explosives from the POF Wah Cantt and further supplies it to a notorious smuggler, who carries out illegal explosives business.
Sensing the gravity of the report and its possible implications, the Interior Ministry wrote to the Ministry of Industries on May 28 that the company was indulged in irregularities in explosives business and that the security aspects regarding storage/sale process of explosives as per the standard operating procedures were not being adhered and remained a source of concern.
In view of this, the Industries Ministry was requested to temporarily suspend the license of the company. While the Ministry of Industries processed the matter, the Interior Ministry, just within 10 days, wrote another letter, saying that in view of the submission made by the company’s owner before the Interior Ministry, it has no objection to the revival of the license.
Before the department of explosives could feel the heat of the powerful of the ministries of industries and interior, it issued a show-cause notice to the company along with a three page charge-sheet. Some of these charges include that 23 explosives vans were used for transportation of explosives in year 2007-2008 by the company but it had mentioned only eight on its paper; no entry of vehicle was available on the company’s stock registers in which explosives were transported to place of use against the standing instruction; the stock register showed receipt and use of explosive consignments on the same date, which was logically impossible, thus showing that the company had “made fake entries in the stock registers”; there was no entry of 20,000 detonators purchased by the company in July 2007 from Wah Nobel in the company’s record; another consignment of 20,000 detonators purchased in Sept 2007 was missing from the company’s record, meaning thereby that “this consignment did not reach at your magazine and misused anywhere”; another consignment of 20,000 detonators was delivered to the company in April 2008 but in this case too there was no reflection of this consignment in the company’s stock register etc.
Following this show-cause notice, the department of explosives canceled the company’s license on July 6 but within a few weeks time, following an appeal filed by the company’s owner to the Ministry of Industries and owing to the Interior Ministryís pressure, the license was revived though the authorities remain in dark where were the licensed explosives and detonators used/misused.
Sources said that the explosive department has received on Saturday two more FIRs of seizure of vehicles carrying explosives. The matter of concern remains that the suicide bombers and terrorists involved in subversive activities are in vast majority cases using locally manufactured high explosives and detonators.
SC says NRO validation must by parliament, or else...
Zardari, others to face trials
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday made it absolutely essential for the government to get the NRO and all other ordinances revalidated from parliament within the time given by the court, to prevent all the cases, including those against President Asif Ali Zardari, from being revived automatically.
In the detailed judgment of its July 31 short order issued by the SC, all corruption and criminal cases in which benefit was given under the NRO after February 5, 2008, the date the NRO legally expired, would stand automatically reopened if parliament fails to validate the NRO retrospectively. Simply speaking it means that the benefits were given when the NRO was no longer in existence.
The apex court did not agree with the perception that the benefits drawn from the NRO are past and closed transactions.It instead judged: “Under Article 89 of the Constitution, an ordinance issued by the president if not so laid before the National Assembly, or both Houses of Parliament, stands repealed on expiration of four months from its promulgation.”
Under this judgment, the NRO stands invalid since February 5, 2008, when it completed its 120-day constitutional life. The NRO was enforced on Oct 6, 2007, and within 120 days had to be passed by parliament as a bill or re-issued as an ordinance, which it was not.
Much to the worry of the ruling elite particularly President Zardari, all their corruption and criminal cases were quashed because of the NRO after February 5, when as per the Supreme Court’s judgment, the NRO did not exist. President Zardari’s acquittal from all cases happened during March-April 2008. (See list)
“Only such rights, privileges, obligations, or liabilities would lawfully be protected as were acquired, accrued or incurred under the said Ordinances during the period of four months or three months, as the case may be, from their promulgation, whether before or after November 3, 2007, and not thereafter, until such ordinances were enacted as acts by Parliament with retrospective effect,” the Supreme Court ruled.
The Supreme Court did not discuss the NRO in isolation but set the same principle for all ordinances that were covered under Musharraf’s PCO, now declared unconstitutional. In case parliament validates the NRO retrospectively (with effect from February 5, 2008) as per the judgment of the apex court, the Supreme Court also made it clear in the same judgment: “Needless to say that any validation whether with retrospective effect or otherwise, shall always be subject to judicial review on the well recognized principles of ultra vires, non-conformity with the Constitution or violation of the Fundamental Rights, or on any other available ground.”
It is relevant to mention here that the NRO soon after its promulgation in October 2007 was challenged in the Supreme Court, which has yet to hear the petitions questioning the very validity of the controversial ordinance.
In para 186 of the detailed judgment, the SC said, “Proclamation of Emergency and PCO No 1 of 2007 having been declared unconstitutional and void ab initio and the validity purportedly conferred on all such Ordinances by means of Article 270AAA and by the judgment in Tikka Iqbal Muhammad Khan’s case also having been shorn, such ordinances would cease to be permanent laws with the result that the life of such ordinances would be limited to the period specified in Article 89 and 128 of the Constitution, viz., four months and three months respectively from the date of their promulgation. Under Article 89 of the Constitution, an ordinance issued by the president, if not so laid before the National Assembly, or both Houses of Parliament, stands repealed on expiration of four months from its promulgation. Similarly, under Article 128 of the Constitution, an ordinance issued by the governor, if not so laid before the concerned provincial assembly, stands repealed on expiration of three months from its promulgation.”
In its para 187, the detailed judgment said, “It may be noted that such ordinances were continued in force throughout under a wrong notion that they had become permanent laws. Thus, the fact remains that on the touchstone of the provisions of Articles 89 and 128 read with Article 264 of the Constitution and Section 6 of the General Clauses Act, 1897, only such rights, privileges, obligations, or liabilities would lawfully be protected as were acquired, accrued or incurred under the said ordinances during the period of four months or three months, as the case may be, from their promulgation, whether before or after November 3, 2007, and not thereafter, until such ordinances were enacted as acts by Parliament or the concerned provincial assembly with retrospective effect.”
According to the details gathered by The News, President Asif Ali Zardari’s acquittal from all the corruption and criminal cases happened between March 6, 2008, to May 20, 2008. The likes of Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Suleman Faruqi, Zulfikar Mirza, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Usman Farooqi, M B Abbasi and many others also benefited after the ordinance lapsed.
Zardari’s message to Nawaz has defeat written all over
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: Cornered and extremely vulnerable President Asif Ali Zardari has conveyed to his political rival Nawaz Sharif that he has learnt from his past mistakes and would now like to achieve what the political forces would have achieved many months back.
Though Nawaz Sharif may have agreed to meet President Zardari, the fact is that he has completely lost faith in the PPP co-chairperson and the country’s head of the state. “He lacks seriousness,” was Sharif’s immediate reaction when told what the president had conveyed to him.
A credible PML-N source confided to The News that a PML-N senator was on Thursday told by a senior PPP leader to convey it to Nawaz Sharif that the president is fully prepared to immediately proceed on the pending issues like undoing of the 17th Amendment and the implementation of the Charter of Democracy (CoD).
The PML-N senator was told that the president has learnt the lesson from his past mistakes and is now willing to closely work with Nawaz Sharif to attain the common objectives as agreed in the CoD. The PPP leader, who besides being the member of parliament, is also a senior officer-bearer of the party, told the PML-N senator to assure Nawaz Sharif that now the president really means to do what should have been done soon after the February 2008 elections.
The source said that on Friday Zardari’s indirect message was conveyed to Mian Nawaz Sharif who, nevertheless, remained unimpressed. Instead, the source said, the PML-N Quaid’s immediate response was that Zardari is a non-serious person and is not trustworthy.
The PML-N Quaid and other party leaders remain deeply suspicious of President Zardari, who reneged on public commitments time and again during the last 16 months.
The PML-N senator, who was asked to deliver the president’s message to Nawaz Sharif, confided to this correspondent on condition of not being named that his suspicion is that President Zardari is now wooing the PML-N and its Quaid to strike a deal on the issue of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). But the senator was confident that his party would not compromise on the NRO issue and would oppose it tooth and nail both within parliament and outside.
President Zardari and Nawaz Sharif are scheduled to meet on October 26 after a gap almost a hundred days. They last met in mid-July at Jati Umra but their talks did not achieve any thing worthwhile.
The restoration of independent judiciary under Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, re-opening of the NRO issue, the Pakistan Army’s serious reservations over the Presidency-endorsed Kerry-Lugar Act, and the president’s waning popularity have weakened Zardari’s position.
President Zardari is in dire need of political support to consolidate his position but the PML-N is not prepared to trust him any more unless he immediately moves to get the 17th Amendment undone. Promises, commitments and assurances would not work this time, a party source said, adding “We would not let him (President Zardari) use us yet again”.
ISLAMABAD: Cornered and extremely vulnerable President Asif Ali Zardari has conveyed to his political rival Nawaz Sharif that he has learnt from his past mistakes and would now like to achieve what the political forces would have achieved many months back.
Though Nawaz Sharif may have agreed to meet President Zardari, the fact is that he has completely lost faith in the PPP co-chairperson and the country’s head of the state. “He lacks seriousness,” was Sharif’s immediate reaction when told what the president had conveyed to him.
A credible PML-N source confided to The News that a PML-N senator was on Thursday told by a senior PPP leader to convey it to Nawaz Sharif that the president is fully prepared to immediately proceed on the pending issues like undoing of the 17th Amendment and the implementation of the Charter of Democracy (CoD).
The PML-N senator was told that the president has learnt the lesson from his past mistakes and is now willing to closely work with Nawaz Sharif to attain the common objectives as agreed in the CoD. The PPP leader, who besides being the member of parliament, is also a senior officer-bearer of the party, told the PML-N senator to assure Nawaz Sharif that now the president really means to do what should have been done soon after the February 2008 elections.
The source said that on Friday Zardari’s indirect message was conveyed to Mian Nawaz Sharif who, nevertheless, remained unimpressed. Instead, the source said, the PML-N Quaid’s immediate response was that Zardari is a non-serious person and is not trustworthy.
The PML-N Quaid and other party leaders remain deeply suspicious of President Zardari, who reneged on public commitments time and again during the last 16 months.
The PML-N senator, who was asked to deliver the president’s message to Nawaz Sharif, confided to this correspondent on condition of not being named that his suspicion is that President Zardari is now wooing the PML-N and its Quaid to strike a deal on the issue of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). But the senator was confident that his party would not compromise on the NRO issue and would oppose it tooth and nail both within parliament and outside.
President Zardari and Nawaz Sharif are scheduled to meet on October 26 after a gap almost a hundred days. They last met in mid-July at Jati Umra but their talks did not achieve any thing worthwhile.
The restoration of independent judiciary under Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, re-opening of the NRO issue, the Pakistan Army’s serious reservations over the Presidency-endorsed Kerry-Lugar Act, and the president’s waning popularity have weakened Zardari’s position.
President Zardari is in dire need of political support to consolidate his position but the PML-N is not prepared to trust him any more unless he immediately moves to get the 17th Amendment undone. Promises, commitments and assurances would not work this time, a party source said, adding “We would not let him (President Zardari) use us yet again”.
Justice Iftikhar rejects plot in capital’s posh area
PCO judges, bureaucrats benefited from policy made by Musharraf
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has rejected the government’s offer of allotment of a residential plot worth Rs30 million in Islamabad, it is learnt.
GM Sikandar, former housing and works secretary and presently member of the federal services tribunal, told The News on Friday that in line with the government’s policy the housing ministry had issued an offer letter to the chief justice of Pakistan for the allotment of a 600 sq yard residential plot in I-8 Sector of Islamabad on August 10 this year but the same day the government had to cancel the allotment after Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry refused to accept it.
The housing ministry that had taken the initiative apparently to please the chief justice was given a dressing down and had to undo everything within hours.Sikandar confirmed that the ministry had also sought the list of other Supreme Court judges, who were to be provided the second residential plot in Islamabad in line with the official policy.
By surrendering his right protected under the stated government policy, Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry seems to have subtly rejected the plot politics of Pakistan, which enables a select few influential groups to get the lion’s share in state resources, leaving nothing for the poor and the needy.
Interestingly it was soon after the November 3, 2007 PCO of General Musharraf that the then ruling junta made the new policy whereby the judges of the Supreme Court were entitled to get two residential plots in Islamabad as was allowed to the federal secretaries and BS-22 officers of the federal government.
The immediate beneficiaries of the policy were all the five judges of the Supreme Court, who had taken oath under the PCO including Justice (retd) Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice (retd) Nawaz Abbasi, Justice (retd) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, Justice (retd) Javed Buttar and Justice (retd) Saeed Ashad. All these PCO judges were given additional residential plots within a few weeks of the November 3 episode.
Sources in the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) said that these PCO judges were even taken to D-12 sector to select the plots of their choice for their services to the dictator of the day.
A few weeks before November 3, 2007 the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had taken suo moto notice of the government’s decision to allot two residential plots to federal secretaries in Islamabad. While issuing notices to all concerned, Justice Iftikhar had questioned how the government could distribute the state land to a select group like sweets. But before he could decide the case, Musharraf imposed his unconstitutional PCO following which the PCO judges took no time to dismiss the suo moto notice. Consequently, they too got the additional plots.
It could be anybody’s guess as to what was the motive behind the present government’s initiative to offer on its own a residential plot to Justice Iftikhar in the posh sector whereas all others were given plots in D-12 where the value of a plot is around Rs7 million.
Justice Iftikhar’s response even surprised the mandarins of the housing ministry and the FGEHF. The housing ministry documents show that on August 10, 2009, the ministry approached Registrar Supreme Court Dr Faqir Hussain with a provisional offer letter for the allotment of plot in I-8 sector to Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. But within no time, the housing ministry got a response from the Registrar’s office, directing it to immediately withdraw the offer letter as the chief justice was not interested in the plot no matter what the government policy said.
The housing ministry immediately, the same day, got back to the Registrar informing him that the offer letter had been withdrawn as per direction of the Supreme Court. The ministry also submitted, “It is humbly clarified that the offer was made in pursuance of the package approved by the Prime Minister of Pakistan for BS-22 officers and the honourable Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to remove the discrimination. Any embarrassment caused in this respect is deeply regretted.”
It might be a coincidence but the housing ministry issued the offer letter to the chief justice at a time when the Supreme Court is already seized with the suo moto case involving highly controversial allotments made by the present government through the FGEHF to a select class of bureaucrats, journalists and others.
The Supreme Court, which had referred the case to the government for an inquiry into these controversial allotments, has already been informed that most of these allotments, including those to government officials and journalists, were made in violation of the policy and in a non-transparent manner.
A senior housing ministry source said that the inquiry report also showed how a superior judiciary’s dismissal order of a writ petition seeking allotment of plots was used as a justification to make allotment of residential plots.
It should be mentioned here that in line with the government’s policy three of the Supreme Court judges who had re-joined the Supreme Court by accepting the Naek formula of re-appointment were also allotted plots in the D-12 sector last year.
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has rejected the government’s offer of allotment of a residential plot worth Rs30 million in Islamabad, it is learnt.
GM Sikandar, former housing and works secretary and presently member of the federal services tribunal, told The News on Friday that in line with the government’s policy the housing ministry had issued an offer letter to the chief justice of Pakistan for the allotment of a 600 sq yard residential plot in I-8 Sector of Islamabad on August 10 this year but the same day the government had to cancel the allotment after Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry refused to accept it.
The housing ministry that had taken the initiative apparently to please the chief justice was given a dressing down and had to undo everything within hours.Sikandar confirmed that the ministry had also sought the list of other Supreme Court judges, who were to be provided the second residential plot in Islamabad in line with the official policy.
By surrendering his right protected under the stated government policy, Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry seems to have subtly rejected the plot politics of Pakistan, which enables a select few influential groups to get the lion’s share in state resources, leaving nothing for the poor and the needy.
Interestingly it was soon after the November 3, 2007 PCO of General Musharraf that the then ruling junta made the new policy whereby the judges of the Supreme Court were entitled to get two residential plots in Islamabad as was allowed to the federal secretaries and BS-22 officers of the federal government.
The immediate beneficiaries of the policy were all the five judges of the Supreme Court, who had taken oath under the PCO including Justice (retd) Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice (retd) Nawaz Abbasi, Justice (retd) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, Justice (retd) Javed Buttar and Justice (retd) Saeed Ashad. All these PCO judges were given additional residential plots within a few weeks of the November 3 episode.
Sources in the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) said that these PCO judges were even taken to D-12 sector to select the plots of their choice for their services to the dictator of the day.
A few weeks before November 3, 2007 the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had taken suo moto notice of the government’s decision to allot two residential plots to federal secretaries in Islamabad. While issuing notices to all concerned, Justice Iftikhar had questioned how the government could distribute the state land to a select group like sweets. But before he could decide the case, Musharraf imposed his unconstitutional PCO following which the PCO judges took no time to dismiss the suo moto notice. Consequently, they too got the additional plots.
It could be anybody’s guess as to what was the motive behind the present government’s initiative to offer on its own a residential plot to Justice Iftikhar in the posh sector whereas all others were given plots in D-12 where the value of a plot is around Rs7 million.
Justice Iftikhar’s response even surprised the mandarins of the housing ministry and the FGEHF. The housing ministry documents show that on August 10, 2009, the ministry approached Registrar Supreme Court Dr Faqir Hussain with a provisional offer letter for the allotment of plot in I-8 sector to Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. But within no time, the housing ministry got a response from the Registrar’s office, directing it to immediately withdraw the offer letter as the chief justice was not interested in the plot no matter what the government policy said.
The housing ministry immediately, the same day, got back to the Registrar informing him that the offer letter had been withdrawn as per direction of the Supreme Court. The ministry also submitted, “It is humbly clarified that the offer was made in pursuance of the package approved by the Prime Minister of Pakistan for BS-22 officers and the honourable Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to remove the discrimination. Any embarrassment caused in this respect is deeply regretted.”
It might be a coincidence but the housing ministry issued the offer letter to the chief justice at a time when the Supreme Court is already seized with the suo moto case involving highly controversial allotments made by the present government through the FGEHF to a select class of bureaucrats, journalists and others.
The Supreme Court, which had referred the case to the government for an inquiry into these controversial allotments, has already been informed that most of these allotments, including those to government officials and journalists, were made in violation of the policy and in a non-transparent manner.
A senior housing ministry source said that the inquiry report also showed how a superior judiciary’s dismissal order of a writ petition seeking allotment of plots was used as a justification to make allotment of residential plots.
It should be mentioned here that in line with the government’s policy three of the Supreme Court judges who had re-joined the Supreme Court by accepting the Naek formula of re-appointment were also allotted plots in the D-12 sector last year.
People’s Party pushing favourites in cushy jobs
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: After some highly controversial appointments of exiled friends on lucrative positions, the PPP-led coalition government is now pushing favourites and party loyalists for important jobs.
This is being done in such a hurry that in some cases, private recommendation letters on the PPP letterheads are also being forwarded, along with federal ministers’ directives, to different government agencies. Such party letters today make part of official files.
These appointments are being made in addition to those being processed through the Task Force on Recruitment, which is seen as the latest version of the previously ill reputed Peoples Placement Bureau.
The Task Force, as reported earlier, is headed by two political appointees and close associates of Asif Ali Zardari, one of them enjoying the status of a federal minister. It primarily deals with BS-1 to BS-16 appointments in the government departments.
Official documents, including directives issued by some of the federal ministers, available with The News, show it is yet another crude method of appointment, proving that favouritism instead of merit and the rule of law was being followed.
In one case, Information Minister Sherry Rehman, who is also acting as the health minister, has recommended the appointment of a PPP supporter in London as adviser, special assistant or consultant to the health minister or “against any suitable post falling under the health ministry”.
On a PPP letterhead, one Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, deputy coordinator Peoples Business Forum, writes to the information minister on May 20: “Dear Ms Sherry Rehman: Dr Mukhtar Bhutto, a diehard PPP supporter, had close contacts with Shaheed Benazir Bhutto in London. Our Quaid also helped him in his medical studies in the UK. Dr Mukhtar Bhutto was a great support to me in my election campaign. I am forwarding his letter of request with his CV for your kind consideration for any suitable position with the request to kindly do the needful.”
The attached CV of the PPP supporter, which too is now part of official record, says: “I am a strong devotee of my beloved mother like the Pakistan People’s Party...” He sees the information minister as a “Roshan Meenar” for the party workers and hopes that he would not be disappointed and given the opportunity “to serve Pakistan and Pakistani, subsequently our Pakistan People’s Party”.
Following the receipt of the above recommendation, the information minister’s office formally referred the case to the secretary health under the signatures of Rao Tehsin Ali Khan, Director General, to information minister.
The recommendation letter of Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig and the CV of Dr Mukhtar Bhutto were also attached with the request formally referred to the secretary health. The letter issued by Sherry Rehman’s office on June 5 said: “Enclosed please find an application of Dr Mukhtar Bhutto, recommended by Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Deputy Coordinator, People’s Business Forum, requesting for appointment as Adviser/Special Assistant/Consultant to the Ministry of Health or any suitable alternative in the said Ministry....”
Since the health ministry could not appoint adviser, special assistant or consultant on its own and without the approval of the prime minister, it forwarded the minister’s directive, along with attached recommendation letter and the CV to all programme managers and project coordinators, leading health projects under the health ministry, with the request that they should indicate the position as per qualification of the PPP supporter for his appointment.
In yet another case, a PPP MNA Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi approached the health minister with a request that a serving income additional commissioner Dr Malik Muhammad Khan Awan should be appointed in any of the leading health ministry programmes.
Despite the fact that inviting such political interference into service matters by a serving bureaucrat tantamounts to misconduct under the Estacode — the book of law, rules, policies, etc, governing civil bureaucracy — still Sherry Rehman’s Director General Rao Tehsin Ali Khan wrote to the secretary health: “Enclosed please find a self-explanatory request of Dr Malik Muhammd Khan Awan, Additional Commissioner, Legal-I, Large Taxpayer Unit, Lahore, on the subject above (Requisition of services of Dr Malik Muhammad Khan Awan from Federal Board of Revenue to Ministry of Health) noted above. The minister has desired that a report may please be sent to this office for the issuance of orders of the minister.”
The health ministry in this case too, referred the minister’s directive, along with the taxman’s application, to all programme managers and project coordinators under it to indicate the vacant position as per Awan’s qualification for onward submission of a report to the health minister (read information minister).
Sherry Rehman, when contacted, denied that she had issued any such directive to any government department. When asked that the directives were issued by her office under the signatures of her DG, she expressed her ignorance, saying, “Not that I know of.”
The information minister said that MNAs and others, including journalists, bring job requests to her but she never compromises on merit and seeks appointments only through the Placement Bureau (she probably meant Task Force on Recruitment).
While there are reports of several other ministers involved in similar practices, Sherry Rehman’s case is interesting for the reason that she is one of the foreign qualified ministers, who during her journalistic carrier, has been reflecting on the issue of merit, good governance and the rule of law.
ISLAMABAD: After some highly controversial appointments of exiled friends on lucrative positions, the PPP-led coalition government is now pushing favourites and party loyalists for important jobs.
This is being done in such a hurry that in some cases, private recommendation letters on the PPP letterheads are also being forwarded, along with federal ministers’ directives, to different government agencies. Such party letters today make part of official files.
These appointments are being made in addition to those being processed through the Task Force on Recruitment, which is seen as the latest version of the previously ill reputed Peoples Placement Bureau.
The Task Force, as reported earlier, is headed by two political appointees and close associates of Asif Ali Zardari, one of them enjoying the status of a federal minister. It primarily deals with BS-1 to BS-16 appointments in the government departments.
Official documents, including directives issued by some of the federal ministers, available with The News, show it is yet another crude method of appointment, proving that favouritism instead of merit and the rule of law was being followed.
In one case, Information Minister Sherry Rehman, who is also acting as the health minister, has recommended the appointment of a PPP supporter in London as adviser, special assistant or consultant to the health minister or “against any suitable post falling under the health ministry”.
On a PPP letterhead, one Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, deputy coordinator Peoples Business Forum, writes to the information minister on May 20: “Dear Ms Sherry Rehman: Dr Mukhtar Bhutto, a diehard PPP supporter, had close contacts with Shaheed Benazir Bhutto in London. Our Quaid also helped him in his medical studies in the UK. Dr Mukhtar Bhutto was a great support to me in my election campaign. I am forwarding his letter of request with his CV for your kind consideration for any suitable position with the request to kindly do the needful.”
The attached CV of the PPP supporter, which too is now part of official record, says: “I am a strong devotee of my beloved mother like the Pakistan People’s Party...” He sees the information minister as a “Roshan Meenar” for the party workers and hopes that he would not be disappointed and given the opportunity “to serve Pakistan and Pakistani, subsequently our Pakistan People’s Party”.
Following the receipt of the above recommendation, the information minister’s office formally referred the case to the secretary health under the signatures of Rao Tehsin Ali Khan, Director General, to information minister.
The recommendation letter of Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig and the CV of Dr Mukhtar Bhutto were also attached with the request formally referred to the secretary health. The letter issued by Sherry Rehman’s office on June 5 said: “Enclosed please find an application of Dr Mukhtar Bhutto, recommended by Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Deputy Coordinator, People’s Business Forum, requesting for appointment as Adviser/Special Assistant/Consultant to the Ministry of Health or any suitable alternative in the said Ministry....”
Since the health ministry could not appoint adviser, special assistant or consultant on its own and without the approval of the prime minister, it forwarded the minister’s directive, along with attached recommendation letter and the CV to all programme managers and project coordinators, leading health projects under the health ministry, with the request that they should indicate the position as per qualification of the PPP supporter for his appointment.
In yet another case, a PPP MNA Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi approached the health minister with a request that a serving income additional commissioner Dr Malik Muhammad Khan Awan should be appointed in any of the leading health ministry programmes.
Despite the fact that inviting such political interference into service matters by a serving bureaucrat tantamounts to misconduct under the Estacode — the book of law, rules, policies, etc, governing civil bureaucracy — still Sherry Rehman’s Director General Rao Tehsin Ali Khan wrote to the secretary health: “Enclosed please find a self-explanatory request of Dr Malik Muhammd Khan Awan, Additional Commissioner, Legal-I, Large Taxpayer Unit, Lahore, on the subject above (Requisition of services of Dr Malik Muhammad Khan Awan from Federal Board of Revenue to Ministry of Health) noted above. The minister has desired that a report may please be sent to this office for the issuance of orders of the minister.”
The health ministry in this case too, referred the minister’s directive, along with the taxman’s application, to all programme managers and project coordinators under it to indicate the vacant position as per Awan’s qualification for onward submission of a report to the health minister (read information minister).
Sherry Rehman, when contacted, denied that she had issued any such directive to any government department. When asked that the directives were issued by her office under the signatures of her DG, she expressed her ignorance, saying, “Not that I know of.”
The information minister said that MNAs and others, including journalists, bring job requests to her but she never compromises on merit and seeks appointments only through the Placement Bureau (she probably meant Task Force on Recruitment).
While there are reports of several other ministers involved in similar practices, Sherry Rehman’s case is interesting for the reason that she is one of the foreign qualified ministers, who during her journalistic carrier, has been reflecting on the issue of merit, good governance and the rule of law.
One Hundred corruption cases to reopen in 25 days
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: Over 100 corruption and criminal cases involving many top politicians and bureaucrats, which were settled under the controversial NRO after February 2, 2008, would automatically reopen after 25 days on Nov 28.
NAB documents and information collected from other sources reveal that not only President Asif Ali Zardari but most of his confidants and top political and bureaucratic aides benefited from the NRO after February 2, 2008, after the controversial ordinance had completed its constitutional life of 120 days.
The Presidency’s decision not to enact the NRO with effect from February 2, 2008 would reopen all the cases settled after that date as per the Supreme Court decision. Documents reveal that under the NRO reference (ref) 91/2004 against Rehman Malik, the present interior minister, for alleged misuse of authority, was closed down on March 3, 2008. On the same day, another case (ref 92/2004) against Rehman Malik for alleged receipt of two cars from Toyota Motors as illegal gratification on account of purchase of official vehicles was also closed under the NRO.
On March 5, 2008, five cases (ref Nos 14/2001, 6/2000, 13/2001, 41/2001 and 23/2000) against President Asif Ali Zardari were closed down. These cases ware about assets beyond known source of income, illegal construction of a polo ground at the PM House and loss of national exchequer, alleged corruption and corrupt practices in the Green Tractor scheme, corruption and corrupt practices in the SGS case and corruption and corrupt practices in the ARY Gold case. Former principal secretary to the prime minister Saeed Mehdi and Shafi M Sehwani (who expired several years back) were involved in the Polo ground case. PPP MNA and former federal minister Yousuf Talpur and ex-chairman ADBP Badaruddin Zaidi were co-accused in the Green Tractor Scheme case. A former secretary, A R Siddiqi, was a co-accused with Zardari in the SGS case. In the ARY Gold case, former secretary commerce Aslam Hayat Qureshi, Principal Secretary to the President Salman Faruqi and former secretary finance and Pakistanís Executive Director at the World Bank Javed Talat are the co-accused. All these politicians, bureaucrats and their civilian (mostly businessman) co-accused were also acquitted on the same date, March 5, 2007. Though Yousuf Talpur’s name is reflected in the NAB’s list of NRO beneficiaries, he told the National Assembly on Tuesday that he did not take any benefit from the law.
On March 13, 2005, Zardari got acquittal from yet another case of kickback in pre-shipment, also known as the Cotechna case. Begum Nusrat Bhutto was co-accused in the case along with a government servant, Arif Siddiqui, both of whom were cleared on the same date. The BMW case, Murtaza murder case, drug case etc were also cleared after February 2008.
Former MNA and district Nazim DG Khan Sardar Mansoor Leghari was cleared under the NRO on March 19, 2008. A government servant, Sadiq Ali Khan, too was cleared on March 19, 2008. Anwar Saifullah, former petroleum minister, got acquittal in five different cases on May 7, 2008.
PPP Secretary General Jehangir Badar, former PPP MNA Mushtaq Awan and ex-chief secretary Punjab Javed Qureshi were acquitted after February 2008 in corruption and illegal appointment cases. The same was the case with the former NDFC chairman and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran MB Abbasi, ex-Pak Steel chairman Usman Farooqi and former IB chief Brigadier Imtiaz.
Former interior minister Aftab Khan Sherpao and former deputy speaker Nawaz Khokhar were acquitted under the NRO in July 2008. A PML-N MNA Rana Nazir too benefited from the NRO and got cleared in April 2008. Farzana Raja’s ex-husband Pir Mukramul Haq was acquitted of corruption cases after Feb 2008.
Other such NRO beneficiaries include Ibrar Hussain, Inamur Rehman Sehri, Habibullah Tasnim, Muhammad Saeed, Raees M Irshad, Ghulam Qadir Lakhan, Shafique Siddiqi, Ahmad Hussain, Iqbal Bangash, Khurshid Anwar, M Akbar, Ikramul Haq Mirza, A D Abbasi, Kh Farooq Ahmad, Rafique Shad, Sadiq Ali Khan, Ch Muhammad Aslam, Abdul Ghafoor Aslam, Muhammad Ahmad Baloch, Muhammad Ismail, Ahmed Khan, Atta Ullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muzamil Hussain, Dawood Khan, Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Amin, Abdul Ghafoor Dogar, Mushtaq Ahmad Baloch, Muhammad Iqbal, Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Ismail, Din Muhammad, Raheel J Qureshi, Murid Ahmed Baloch, Muhammad Farooq, Salim Raza, Muhammad Anwar, Muhammad Akbar, Arshad Mehmood, Mohiuddin Jameeli, Muhammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Zaheer Ahmed Khan, Iqbal Ahmed, Sadiq Ali Khan, Sikandar Ali Abbasi, Raja Zahid Hussain, Abdul Naeem Khan, Sh Muhammad Amin, Abdul Ghafoor Khan, Muhammad Ali, Abdul Hayee Qamar, Qazi Naeem Ahmad, Jaffar Muhammad etc.
ISLAMABAD: Over 100 corruption and criminal cases involving many top politicians and bureaucrats, which were settled under the controversial NRO after February 2, 2008, would automatically reopen after 25 days on Nov 28.
NAB documents and information collected from other sources reveal that not only President Asif Ali Zardari but most of his confidants and top political and bureaucratic aides benefited from the NRO after February 2, 2008, after the controversial ordinance had completed its constitutional life of 120 days.
The Presidency’s decision not to enact the NRO with effect from February 2, 2008 would reopen all the cases settled after that date as per the Supreme Court decision. Documents reveal that under the NRO reference (ref) 91/2004 against Rehman Malik, the present interior minister, for alleged misuse of authority, was closed down on March 3, 2008. On the same day, another case (ref 92/2004) against Rehman Malik for alleged receipt of two cars from Toyota Motors as illegal gratification on account of purchase of official vehicles was also closed under the NRO.
On March 5, 2008, five cases (ref Nos 14/2001, 6/2000, 13/2001, 41/2001 and 23/2000) against President Asif Ali Zardari were closed down. These cases ware about assets beyond known source of income, illegal construction of a polo ground at the PM House and loss of national exchequer, alleged corruption and corrupt practices in the Green Tractor scheme, corruption and corrupt practices in the SGS case and corruption and corrupt practices in the ARY Gold case. Former principal secretary to the prime minister Saeed Mehdi and Shafi M Sehwani (who expired several years back) were involved in the Polo ground case. PPP MNA and former federal minister Yousuf Talpur and ex-chairman ADBP Badaruddin Zaidi were co-accused in the Green Tractor Scheme case. A former secretary, A R Siddiqi, was a co-accused with Zardari in the SGS case. In the ARY Gold case, former secretary commerce Aslam Hayat Qureshi, Principal Secretary to the President Salman Faruqi and former secretary finance and Pakistanís Executive Director at the World Bank Javed Talat are the co-accused. All these politicians, bureaucrats and their civilian (mostly businessman) co-accused were also acquitted on the same date, March 5, 2007. Though Yousuf Talpur’s name is reflected in the NAB’s list of NRO beneficiaries, he told the National Assembly on Tuesday that he did not take any benefit from the law.
On March 13, 2005, Zardari got acquittal from yet another case of kickback in pre-shipment, also known as the Cotechna case. Begum Nusrat Bhutto was co-accused in the case along with a government servant, Arif Siddiqui, both of whom were cleared on the same date. The BMW case, Murtaza murder case, drug case etc were also cleared after February 2008.
Former MNA and district Nazim DG Khan Sardar Mansoor Leghari was cleared under the NRO on March 19, 2008. A government servant, Sadiq Ali Khan, too was cleared on March 19, 2008. Anwar Saifullah, former petroleum minister, got acquittal in five different cases on May 7, 2008.
PPP Secretary General Jehangir Badar, former PPP MNA Mushtaq Awan and ex-chief secretary Punjab Javed Qureshi were acquitted after February 2008 in corruption and illegal appointment cases. The same was the case with the former NDFC chairman and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran MB Abbasi, ex-Pak Steel chairman Usman Farooqi and former IB chief Brigadier Imtiaz.
Former interior minister Aftab Khan Sherpao and former deputy speaker Nawaz Khokhar were acquitted under the NRO in July 2008. A PML-N MNA Rana Nazir too benefited from the NRO and got cleared in April 2008. Farzana Raja’s ex-husband Pir Mukramul Haq was acquitted of corruption cases after Feb 2008.
Other such NRO beneficiaries include Ibrar Hussain, Inamur Rehman Sehri, Habibullah Tasnim, Muhammad Saeed, Raees M Irshad, Ghulam Qadir Lakhan, Shafique Siddiqi, Ahmad Hussain, Iqbal Bangash, Khurshid Anwar, M Akbar, Ikramul Haq Mirza, A D Abbasi, Kh Farooq Ahmad, Rafique Shad, Sadiq Ali Khan, Ch Muhammad Aslam, Abdul Ghafoor Aslam, Muhammad Ahmad Baloch, Muhammad Ismail, Ahmed Khan, Atta Ullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muzamil Hussain, Dawood Khan, Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Amin, Abdul Ghafoor Dogar, Mushtaq Ahmad Baloch, Muhammad Iqbal, Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Ismail, Din Muhammad, Raheel J Qureshi, Murid Ahmed Baloch, Muhammad Farooq, Salim Raza, Muhammad Anwar, Muhammad Akbar, Arshad Mehmood, Mohiuddin Jameeli, Muhammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Zaheer Ahmed Khan, Iqbal Ahmed, Sadiq Ali Khan, Sikandar Ali Abbasi, Raja Zahid Hussain, Abdul Naeem Khan, Sh Muhammad Amin, Abdul Ghafoor Khan, Muhammad Ali, Abdul Hayee Qamar, Qazi Naeem Ahmad, Jaffar Muhammad etc.
With Zardari busy in survival, national security issues ignored
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: Mistrust between the Presidency and the establishment is growing with every passing day as President Asif Ali Zardari is embroiled in his survival battles and top priority national security matters are being ignored.
A top military general is said to have shared with his politician friend the view that some top security issues are not getting the kind of attention they deserve from the Presidency and the government.
The politician friend confided to The News that the general’s response conveys the military’s concerns over the indifference of the present political dispensation towards some serious security matters.
He said the meetings of the National Command and Control Authority and that of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet have not been convened for months, despite requests by the military establishment. The last meeting of the DCC was held on March 21, 2009, whereas the NC&CA last met on December 14, 2007.
President Zardari’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar, when contacted, said there is no reason for the non-convening of the National Command and Control Authority, which is headed by the president. He said he is not aware of any request made to the president to convene its meeting. Babar said the Strategic Planning Division (SPD) is the relevant authority to initiate proposal for the NC&CA meeting.
Babar, however, said the president would call the Authority meeting if the SPD seeks it. He did not agree that the NC&CA did not meet for several months and insisted that as per his memory, the NC&CA met a few weeks back.
The DCC is headed by the prime minister. According to a news report, a set of ministers recently expressed their aversion to convening the DCC to discuss and formulate a policy on the then Kerry-Lugar Bill (now law).
The report said that the prime minister was inclined to convene a DCC meeting, but he did not do that because of some ministers’ objections. Apart from defence, foreign affairs, interior and finance ministers, services chiefs, chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director-general usually attend the DCC meetings, which are rarely held.
Last time, the DCC met in March this year when it reviewed the war against terrorism, Pakistan’s investigation into the Mumbai attacks and the Indian reply. The attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore also came under discussion.
It is also said that the defence authorities are also seeking the government’s permission to test its new ballistic missile as India is all set to do the same anytime during the current month. Will Pakistan test its ballistic missile is not yet clear.
Meanwhile, it is also learnt that President Asif Ali Zardari had recently assured some key members of the establishment that he would sack some of his close political associates and bureaucratic aides for their stinking reputation and suspicious connections with foreign intelligence agencies.
A credible source said President Zardari has himself confided to some of his visitors, including a senior journalist, that he had committed, in his meeting with some important members of the establishment, to sacking a federal minister, his chief bureaucratic aide, an adviser, a couple of his confidants in the Foreign Ministry.
The source said that the president was frankly told about the doubtful role being played by these red-flagged individuals. About the federal minister, it was said that he had strong connections with some foreign intelligence agencies, which are conspiring against Pakistan.
The president, the source said, was also informed of the role of a Foreign Ministry official, who had manoeuvred and later publicly endorsed anti-Pakistan moves of a foreign country. It is not yet clear as to why the president has not yet removed those, who are considered as “security risk” and are the reason for widening gap between the Presidency and the country’s establishment.
However, the source believed that in view of the NRO fiasco (for its beneficiaries), the expected opening up of the corruption and criminal cases against most of these political and bureaucratic aides of President Zardari in the near future might become the apparent ground for rolling some unwanted heads.
ISLAMABAD: Mistrust between the Presidency and the establishment is growing with every passing day as President Asif Ali Zardari is embroiled in his survival battles and top priority national security matters are being ignored.
A top military general is said to have shared with his politician friend the view that some top security issues are not getting the kind of attention they deserve from the Presidency and the government.
The politician friend confided to The News that the general’s response conveys the military’s concerns over the indifference of the present political dispensation towards some serious security matters.
He said the meetings of the National Command and Control Authority and that of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet have not been convened for months, despite requests by the military establishment. The last meeting of the DCC was held on March 21, 2009, whereas the NC&CA last met on December 14, 2007.
President Zardari’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar, when contacted, said there is no reason for the non-convening of the National Command and Control Authority, which is headed by the president. He said he is not aware of any request made to the president to convene its meeting. Babar said the Strategic Planning Division (SPD) is the relevant authority to initiate proposal for the NC&CA meeting.
Babar, however, said the president would call the Authority meeting if the SPD seeks it. He did not agree that the NC&CA did not meet for several months and insisted that as per his memory, the NC&CA met a few weeks back.
The DCC is headed by the prime minister. According to a news report, a set of ministers recently expressed their aversion to convening the DCC to discuss and formulate a policy on the then Kerry-Lugar Bill (now law).
The report said that the prime minister was inclined to convene a DCC meeting, but he did not do that because of some ministers’ objections. Apart from defence, foreign affairs, interior and finance ministers, services chiefs, chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director-general usually attend the DCC meetings, which are rarely held.
Last time, the DCC met in March this year when it reviewed the war against terrorism, Pakistan’s investigation into the Mumbai attacks and the Indian reply. The attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore also came under discussion.
It is also said that the defence authorities are also seeking the government’s permission to test its new ballistic missile as India is all set to do the same anytime during the current month. Will Pakistan test its ballistic missile is not yet clear.
Meanwhile, it is also learnt that President Asif Ali Zardari had recently assured some key members of the establishment that he would sack some of his close political associates and bureaucratic aides for their stinking reputation and suspicious connections with foreign intelligence agencies.
A credible source said President Zardari has himself confided to some of his visitors, including a senior journalist, that he had committed, in his meeting with some important members of the establishment, to sacking a federal minister, his chief bureaucratic aide, an adviser, a couple of his confidants in the Foreign Ministry.
The source said that the president was frankly told about the doubtful role being played by these red-flagged individuals. About the federal minister, it was said that he had strong connections with some foreign intelligence agencies, which are conspiring against Pakistan.
The president, the source said, was also informed of the role of a Foreign Ministry official, who had manoeuvred and later publicly endorsed anti-Pakistan moves of a foreign country. It is not yet clear as to why the president has not yet removed those, who are considered as “security risk” and are the reason for widening gap between the Presidency and the country’s establishment.
However, the source believed that in view of the NRO fiasco (for its beneficiaries), the expected opening up of the corruption and criminal cases against most of these political and bureaucratic aides of President Zardari in the near future might become the apparent ground for rolling some unwanted heads.
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