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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
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			<title>IMF: Pakistan loses up to 6.5% of GDP to corruption as elite capture strangles growth</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2578266/imf-pakistan-loses-up-to-65-of-gdp-to-corruption-as-elite-capture-strangles-growth</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2578266/imf-pakistan-loses-up-to-65-of-gdp-to-corruption-as-elite-capture-strangles-growth#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 25 01:57:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Shahbaz Rana]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2578266</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Rs5.3 trillion recovered in 2 years, says report exposing scale of Pakistan's corruption crisis]]>
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				<![CDATA[Corruption recoveries totaling Rs5.3 trillion in just two years represent only a fraction of the true cost to Pakistan&#39;s economy, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday in a scorching assessment that found corruption &quot;persistent and corrosive&quot; at every level of government.

After holding back for almost three months, the Ministry of Finance released the Governance and Corruption Diagnostics Report to meet the IMF&rsquo;s condition to release it before the meeting of the executive board for the approval of the $1.2 billion worth two loan tranches.

The Rs5.3 trillion figure added up from January 2023 to December 2024.

In the 186-page report, the global lender said that there was no reliable measure to quantify scale of corruption in Pakistan but said that &ldquo;those costs can be gleaned from the recovery of corruption-related assets&rdquo;. The IMF said the NAB recoveries in just two years are just one of the ways to scale the depth of corruption. The money obtained through asset recoveries by NAB reflects only one element in total costs of corruption to the economy, it added.

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The IMF analysis projected that Pakistan could generate between a 5% to 6.5% increase in GDP by pushing through a package of governance reforms over the course of five years.

Pakistan has gone to the IMF 24 times since 1958, making it one of the Fund&#39;s most frequent borrowers. Nearly every government - military or civilian - has had to seek IMF assistance, reflecting Pakistan&#39;s chronic balance of payments crises.

The current deal under Shehbaz Sharif is Pakistan&#39;s 25th IMF program.

&ldquo;Shortly after independence, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan&rsquo;s founding father, denounced corruption in 1947 as a poison that needed to be eradicated,&rdquo; said the IMF. &ldquo;More than 70 years later, corruption continues to hinder Pakistan&rsquo;s macroeconomic and social development by diverting public funds, distorting markets, impeding fair competition, eroding public trust, and constraining domestic and foreign investment.&rdquo;

It added, &ldquo;Corruption is a persistent and corrosive feature of Pakistan&rsquo;s governance,&rdquo; in a remark that spares none of the successive governments and dictators that have remained in power. One example cited is of the PTI government&rsquo;s decision in 2019 to allow sugar exports as one of the examples of how corrupt elites have captured policies to their benefits.

The IMF report that will also be read in other world capitals, stated that Pakistanis are regularly required to pay officials for access to services. At a higher level, official policies and practices have been shaped by economic and political elites to make use of public authority to enrich themselves at the cost of greater societal well-being and economic growth.

Here are the Pakistani leaders who have signed IMF deals:

Military Rulers:


	Gen. Ayub Khan (1960s) - Early IMF engagement
	Gen. Zia-ul-Haq (1980s) - Multiple programs
	Gen. Pervez Musharraf (1999-2008) - Major program in 2000-01, another in 2008


Civilian Prime Ministers:


	Nawaz Sharif (Multiple terms: 1990-93, 1997-99, 2013-17) - Signed deals in 1997 and 2013 (the 2013 program was a major $6.6 billion EFF)
	Benazir Bhutto (1988-90, 1993-96) - Programs in her tenures
	Shaukat Aziz (2004-07) - Under Musharraf&#39;s presidency
	Yousuf Raza Gilani/Asif Ali Zardari (PPP government 2008-13) - 2008 SBA
	Imran Khan (2018-22) - Signed $6 billion EFF in 2019
	Shehbaz Sharif (2022-present) - Signed $3 billion SBA in 2023, current $7 billion EFF in 2024


The capture of judicial institutions and the lack of accountability for corrupt practices fosters corruption and the outflow of capital tied to the proceeds of corruption that might be more productively used in Pakistan, it added.

The IMF said that that indicators reflect weak control of corruption over time with negative consequences for public spending effectiveness, revenue collection, and trust in the legal system.

&ldquo;The most economically damaging manifestations involve privileged entities that exert influence over key economic sectors, including those owned by or affiliated with the state.&rdquo;

These dynamics are compounded by perceptions that the anti-corruption approach has lacked consistency and impartiality, contributing to diminished public confidence in enforcement institutions.

The IMF defines corruption as the abuse of authority for private gain. Corruption can be an individual act such as requesting or accepting a bribe, or it can happen through a long-standing network of public and private actors who work together to capture contracts, markets, or sometime entire governments.

The IMF said that Pakistan&rsquo;s corruption risks are generated by weaknesses in budgeting and reporting of fiscal information, and management of public financial and non-financial resources, particularly in capital spending, public procurement, and the management and oversight of state-owned enterprises in an overly complex and opaque tax system.

The IMF said that Pakistan&rsquo;s judicial sector is organizationally complex, is not able to reliably enforce contracts or protect property rights due to problems with efficiency, antiquated laws, and the integrity of judges and judicial personnel.

&ldquo;Corruption risks are exacerbated by fragmentation among accountability institutions and limitations in their operational independence,&rdquo; said the Fund.

Rule of law
The IMF said that governance weaknesses in the judicial sector constrain the ability of parties to rely on the effective enforcement of their economic rights and lead to exposure to corruption risks.

Existing mechanisms for overseeing the efficiency and ethics of judicial officers need to be strengthened to support improved performance and increased public trust.

The IMF wrote the report after fielding two missions to Pakistan that focused on examining the nature and severity of corruption and identifying the governance weaknesses and corruption vulnerabilities.

It said that its exercise was confined to corruption and governance issues at the federal level while important, broader political and institutional dynamics, including provincial governance and the role of the military, were largely outside the scope of this exercise.

&ldquo;The recently established Special Investment Facilitation Council, which has been vested with substantial authority to facilitate foreign investments, operates with untested transparency and accountability provisions,&rdquo; the IMF report said.

The sugar mills
While citing the 2019 infamous sugar export case of former Prime Minister Imran Khan&rsquo;s regime, the IMF said that the sugar sector provides a case study of how the intertwined relationship between economic elites and state regulators combine to capture public benefits at deep costs to the overall public.

&ldquo;Sugar mill owners, many of whom hold government positions, have ensured highly &lsquo;recommended&rsquo; prices for sugarcane and protective tariffs, keeping their operations profitable at the expense of competitiveness and they have also influenced export and pricing policies to their advantage.

In 2018&ndash;19, a government decision allowed significant sugar exports, even subsidizing them, which created domestic shortages and price spikes for consumers,&quot; said the Fund.

The IMF said that a high-profile investigation, led by the FIA, found that leading sugar mill owners colluded to create artificial shortages and manipulate prices despite ample warehouse stocks. It uncovered fraudulent practices, including speculative hoarding and the laundering of illicit profits through fake accounts. The inquiry&rsquo;s report named political heavyweights as culprits and confirmed that an export push (approved by government officials tied to the industry) had caused domestic prices to soar.58 Despite damning revelations, accountability has been limited, it added.

Judiciary
The IMF said that corruption is viewed as an important factor influencing judicial performance and undermining the rule of law in Pakistan

While citing various surveys, the IMF said that the National Corruption Survey consistently found that respondents viewed the judiciary as one of the most corrupt sectors, together with the police and public procurement.

&ldquo;The judiciary is consistently identified in public surveys as one of the most corrupt state functions, indicating the lack of trust in current judicial practices.&rdquo;

The report underlined that Pakistan&#39;s judicial system faces considerable obstacles in practice with respect to judicial independence, against the fragmented organizational backdrop.

26th constitutional amendment
The recent changes in the appointment process for Supreme Court judges have prompted discussion and a constitutional petition regarding potential implications for judicial independence and rule of law.

&ldquo;The 26th Constitutional Amendment changed the appointment process for the Chief Justice (nomination by Special Parliamentary Committee with representation from women and minorities) and expanded the number of members in the Judicial Commission of Pakistan,&rdquo; said the Fund.

The report further stated that while the amendments aim to broaden participation and enhance inclusivity, several stakeholders have expressed concerns that, absent adequate safeguards, the reforms could be perceived as heightening potential risks to judicial independence.

The IMF said that to reinforce confidence in the integrity of the appointment process, the authorities could consider codifying clear and objective selection criteria for judges; adopting transparent, evidence-based evaluation procedures; and integrating integrity and ethics screening as a systematic component of a merit-based process, consistent with international good practice.]]>
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			<title>Xi urges military to curb corruption</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2507754/xi-urges-military-to-curb-corruption</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2507754/xi-urges-military-to-curb-corruption#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 05 Nov 24 22:35:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[afp]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2507754</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Xi says army must &quot;seriously investigate, deal with corruption and unhealthy tendencies among officers and soldiers,&quot;]]>
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				<![CDATA[Chinese President Xi Jinping warned the military must tackle corruption and &quot;unhealthy tendencies&quot;, state media reported on Tuesday, with Beijing deepening a crackdown on alleged graft in the armed forces in recent months.

Speaking to troops in central China&#39;s Hubei province, Xi said the army must &quot;seriously investigate and deal with corruption and unhealthy tendencies among officers and soldiers,&quot; according to military-backed outlet PLA Daily.

Xi inspected weapons and was briefed at the headquarters of China&#39;s airborne forces, a unit under the People&#39;s Liberation Army Air Force, state media said.

&quot;(We) must keep firmly in mind our duties and missions, increase our sense of war preparedness and tighten our preparations for military struggles,&quot; Xi told soldiers in Xiaogan city.

Xi has overseen a wide-ranging crackdown on official corruption since coming to power just over a decade ago -- which has spread to the military -- but critics have said it serves as a way to purge political rivals.

Last October, former defence minister Li Shangfu was ousted after seven months in the role following a lengthy absence from public view.

The Chinese navy on Monday also cautioned officers against online dating scams and gambling, warning troops to not let down their guards in a social media post directed at soldiers born in the 1990s and 2000s.

&quot;Officers and soldiers should be vigilant at all times,&quot; it said in a post to its official WeChat account. &quot;Don&#39;t lose your principles.&quot;

In July, a top Chinese official in Beijing&#39;s secretive Rocket Force was placed under investigation for corruption.

Sun Jinming was kicked out of the ruling Communist Party and placed under investigation for &quot;grave violations of party discipline and laws&quot;, state news agency Xinhua said at the time, using a common euphemism for graft.]]>
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			<title>New York Mayor Adams indicted in federal corruption investigation amid calls to resign</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2498808/new-york-mayor-adams-indicted-in-federal-corruption-investigation-amid-calls-to-resign</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2498808/new-york-mayor-adams-indicted-in-federal-corruption-investigation-amid-calls-to-resign#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Sep 24 05:59:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2498808</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Investigators focusing on Adams's campaign ties with foreign entities, particularly contributions from Turkiye.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted as part of a wide-reaching federal corruption investigation, marking a historic moment as he becomes the first sitting mayor of the city to face criminal charges.

The indictment, reported by several US media outlets, remains under seal, leaving the specific charges unclear for now.

According to The New York Times, federal investigators are focusing on Adams&#39;s campaign ties with foreign entities, particularly allegations of illegal contributions from Turkiye.

Adams, a retired NYPD captain and the city&rsquo;s second Black mayor, has previously highlighted his connections to the Turkish community in New York and his visits to Turkiye, as well as his meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his tenure as Brooklyn borough president.

In a video statement released on Wednesday, Adams denied any wrongdoing, declaring, &ldquo;It is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with federal crimes.

If so, these charges will be entirely false, based on lies.&rdquo; He went on to claim that he had become a target due to his leadership stance, and pledged to fight the charges.

Adams has been under federal scrutiny for several months.

In November, FBI agents seized his electronic devices in a public encounter with his security detail on a New York City street. Additionally, a number of high-ranking city officials, including NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and the city&rsquo;s health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, have resigned recently, adding to the turmoil surrounding the mayor&rsquo;s office.

The indictment represents a dramatic fall for Adams, who campaigned as the city&rsquo;s &quot;first blue-collar mayor&quot; and won the 2021 mayoral race on a platform to restore safety and New York City&#39;s prominence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adams, expected to run for re-election in 2025, does not have to resign due to the indictment

However, some political figures, including US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have already called for his resignation.

Ocasio-Cortez cited &quot;nonstop investigations&quot; and a &quot;flood of resignations&quot; within Adams&rsquo;s administration as reasons for him to step down.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander echoed these concerns, stating that Adams&rsquo;s legal battle would distract from his duties. Lander emphasized the importance of the mayor focusing on governance, suggesting that the best path forward would be for Adams to resign.

Adams has pushed back against these calls, accusing his critics of engaging in &quot;phony politics&quot; and hypocrisy, particularly targeting those who have championed prison reform but now demand his resignation without formal charges being publicly revealed.

The federal investigation, which has already led to the seizure of devices from several key figures in Adams&#39;s administration, has thrown his tenure into uncertainty.

With more details expected to emerge in the coming days, the political landscape of New York City is bracing for further fallout from the charges.

This indictment marks a major challenge for the embattled mayor, as his political future hangs in the balance amid growing legal pressure and calls for his resignation.]]>
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			<title>Bilawal urges Sindh govt to take stern measures against corruption</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2487810/bilawal-urges-sindh-govt-to-take-stern-measures-against-corruption</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2487810/bilawal-urges-sindh-govt-to-take-stern-measures-against-corruption#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Aug 24 15:03:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[news.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2487810</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[‘Corruption is a cancer,’ PPP chief says in a meeting with Nisar Khuhro and Muhammad Bakhsh Khan Mahar]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has directed the Sindh government to take decisive action against corruption, labelling it a &quot;cancer&quot; that must be eradicated without hesitation.

Bilawal met with Sindh PPP President Nisar Khuhro, Provincial Minister for Anti-Corruption Muhammad Bakhsh Khan Mahar, and other officials at Bilawal House in Karachi on Tuesday.

According to the party&#39;s statement, Nisar Khuhro briefed the PPP chairman on the political and organisational situation in Sindh and provided details on the performance of various institutions after assuming the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee in the Sindh Assembly.

Bilawal instructed Khuhro to exert his best efforts to enhance the performance of the institutions under his oversight.

Minister for Anti-Corruption, Sports, and Agriculture, Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Khan Mahar, also briefed Bilawal on the government&#39;s initiatives to promote sports and protect farmers in the province. He provided a detailed briefing on the measures taken by the Sindh government to combat corruption.

&quot;Corruption is a cancer,&quot; Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated, urging the government to avoid any hesitation in taking extreme measures to eliminate it.]]>
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			<title>Menacing capacity charges: Contract Act offers a way out</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2485318/menacing-capacity-charges-contract-act-offers-a-way-out</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2485318/menacing-capacity-charges-contract-act-offers-a-way-out#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 03 Aug 24 18:36:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Naeem Sarfraz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2485318</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Line losses, theft, corruption, old equipment and incompetent management contribute to inflated electricity bills]]>
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				<![CDATA[For over two decades, power consumers have been victims of inflated electricity bills which have now become an unbearable burden. Line losses, theft, corruption, old equipment and incompetent management are contributory factors, warranting urgent redress. One large component of electricity bills which can be reduced quickly is capacity price. Capacity price is part of every IPP agreement. The government is obliged to pay huge amounts every month to every plant, even when no electricity is supplied by them. These payments cannot be avoided as they are covered under Sovereign Guarantees. Attempts have been made by different governments to get rid of capacity price payments, but in vain.

One suggestion has been to cancel capacity price in all contracts of all IPPs. This will, of course, lead to international litigation where we are sure to lose and end up with damages to the tune of several billion dollars, far exceeding the cost related to the notorious Reko Diq judgment. This option is, thus, out.

The second option is to negotiate with each IPP to get relief from capacity price payments. Obviously no one is going to agree to give up their guaranteed highly lucrative earnings. So this option is out as well.

There is a third option, which has never been considered nor tried, because it is not a part of the agreements. All agreements are based on their governing law. In this case, it is The Contract Act (IX of 1872).

The Contract Act very clearly defines conditions in which any clause of an agreement is to be deemed null and void if it is against the interest of the public. Article 23 of the mentioned Act is the governing portion. Under Article 23 there are scores of cases where clauses of agreements &mdash; and even complete agreements &mdash; have been cancelled under court orders for being against the public interest. It is time to invoke the Contract Act and cancel the capricious clauses covering capacity price payments, separately for the three different kinds of IPPs &mdash; 1) those owned by the government, 2) those owned by Pakistani citizens, and 3) those owned by foreigners.

IPPs owned or controlled by government include those owned by the Federal government, the Punjab government, Fauji Foundation, etc. There is no reason why these IPPs cannot mutually agree to cancel the capacity price payments clauses, without causing any repercussions to the government.

The next category of IPPs is owned by Pakistani citizens &mdash; mostly politicians and major businessmen. Invariably they put in 20% equity while 80% is bank financing. Their balance sheets will show that they have recovered their investments very many years back and have even earned more than enough to pay back their bank loans. Any court in Pakistan will understand that the capacity price payments are against the public interest and are indeed proving too heavy on the public purse, as evident from the massive demonstrations and expressions of anger by the public, reported suicides and resolutions passed by elected houses. It should not take more than a couple of hearings for any court to cancel the capacity price payments being clearly against the public interest as covered under Section 23 of The Contract Act.

The third category is foreign-owned IPPs. A case filed in an appropriate international court would also lead to a very favourable decision under Section 23 of The Contract Act. It will take a little longer, in any event within months if handled correctly. There is no point in sending Pakistani lawyers to fight the case at such a forum as they are not experienced enough in the intricacies of international courts dealing with the technicalities of power generation, transmission and distribution. Perhaps a better way is to hire a strong international (English) law firm and send a couple of extremely competent engineers from Pakistan to help the law firm with technical issues which are likely to arise.

This three-pronged approach will lead to immediate results (within days) of the first group of IPPs (government control) not receiving any more capacity price payments. The second group (Pakistani owners), which account for almost half the total number of IPPs, can be dealt with through local courts within months. Settling the issue with the third group (foreign owners) will take a little longer; but if handled professionally at the right forum, it can also be resolved within a year or so.

For this approach, invoking The Contract Act, cases concerning all three groups should be initiated immediately and simultaneously. Results are virtually guaranteed, but only if handled expeditiously and professionally, not in the usual incompetent, lethargic, bureaucratic and political way of working.]]>
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			<title>US Senator Bob Menendez resigns following corruption conviction</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2482523/us-senator-bob-menendez-resigns-following-corruption-conviction</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2482523/us-senator-bob-menendez-resigns-following-corruption-conviction#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 24 Jul 24 10:38:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[REUTERS]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2482523</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will appoint a replacement for Menendez]]>
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				<![CDATA[US&nbsp;Senator Bob Menendez submitted his resignation on Tuesday in the aftermath of his&nbsp;conviction&nbsp;on corruption charges including bribery and acting as an agent for Egypt&#39;s government, bowing to pressure from fellow Democrats to give up the job.

&quot;I will be resigning from my office as the United States Senator from New Jersey, effective on the close of business on Aug. 20, 2024,&quot; Menendez&#39;s letter, which was seen by Reuters, said.

&quot;While I fully intend to appeal the jury&#39;s verdict, all the way and including to the Supreme Court, I do not want the Senate to be involved in a lengthy process that will detract from its important work,&quot; the letter added.

Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will appoint a replacement for Menendez, who has represented New Jersey in the Senate since 2006 and served as chairman of the influential Foreign Relations Committee before giving up that post after being charged last year.

Murphy said in a statement he had received the letter but did not provide details on when he would finalize a decision for naming Menendez&#39;s temporary replacement. A spokesperson for Murphy did not reply to a request for details about the timing of the decision.

Menendez, 70, was found guilty on July 16 by a jury in Manhattan federal court on all 16 criminal counts he faced - also including obstruction of justice, wire fraud and extortion - after a&nbsp;nine-week trial. Two co-defendants also were convicted.

A message referring to the letter was read aloud on the Senate floor on Tuesday afternoon.

The case centered on what prosecutors called bribery schemes in which the senator and his wife Nadine Menendez accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars and car and mortgage payments from three businessmen. In exchange, Menendez steered billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Egypt, and tried to influence the criminal prosecutions of two of the businessmen, prosecutors said. Menendez plans to appeal.

US&nbsp;District Judge Sidney Stein has set Menendez&#39;s sentencing for Oct. 29, a week before the&nbsp;Nov. 5 election&nbsp;in which he is running as an independent in a bid for another six-year term in the Senate, but is considered a long shot to win.

Menendez&#39;s resignation will temporarily reduce the Democratic majority in the Senate to 50-49 until Murphy&#39;s appointee is sworn in to finish what remains of Menendez&#39;s current six-year term, which ends in January. Democratic US&nbsp;Representative Andy Kim is running for the seat in November and is favored to win in Democratic-leaning New Jersey.

Numerous Democrats had called for Menendez to resign, including Murphy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Cory Booker, New Jersey&#39;s other senator.

The trial was Menendez&#39;s second, after a 2017 trial ended when the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. Menendez then was&nbsp;censured by the Senate ethics committee&nbsp;for accepting gifts from a wealthy longtime friend in exchange for official favors.

Menendez was first appointed to his Senate seat in 2006, after serving 13 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He then won election three times to the Senate. He earlier served in the New Jersey legislature and as a mayor.

For decades he has been a forceful voice on American foreign relations, most recently advocating for additional aid to Ukraine and Israel as Democratic President Joe Biden pushed Congress to allocate more money to foreign allies embroiled in conflicts.

US&nbsp;Representative Rob Menendez, the senator&#39;s son, continues to represent a New Jersey congressional district across the Hudson River from New York City, similar to the district his father previously represented.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>China's Communist Party ousts former ministers from Central Committee</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2480752/chinas-communist-party-ousts-former-ministers-from-central-committee</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2480752/chinas-communist-party-ousts-former-ministers-from-central-committee#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 18 Jul 24 14:07:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2480752</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[CCP expels former foreign and defence ministers, Qin Gang and Li Shangfu, for corruption and discipline violations]]>
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				<![CDATA[China&#39;s Communist Party removed its former foreign and defence ministers, Qin Gang and Li Shangfu, from its Central Committee on Thursday during a meeting of its largest top decision-making body, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The two officials had been removed from their jobs last year.

The ruling Communist Party ended its long-delayed third plenum on Thursday, a meeting of the 205-member Central Committee held roughly once every five years to map out the general direction of the country&#39;s long-term social and economic policies. Removals of Central Committee members would also be approved at such meetings.

The Central Committee said in a communique released by Xinhua that it accepted Qin Gang&#39;s resignation from the body, and confirmed the expulsion of Li Shangfu, 66, as well as former PLA Rocket Force commander Li Yuchao, 61, from the Communist Party for &quot;serious violations of discipline and law&quot;, a euphemism for corruption. Li Yuchao was also removed from his job last year.

The decision to expel Li Shangfu and Li Yuchao from the Communist Party and its Central Committee by extension suggests harsher political consequences for the pair, compared to Qin Gang&#39;s resignation. Qin remains a Communist Party member.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has spearheaded a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign since becoming leader of the Communist Party in 2012. In the first half of this year alone, the party&#39;s top graft watchdog has investigated 36 officials at the vice-ministerial level and above.

Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe were both expelled from the Communist Party last month on bribery charges, as China&#39;s People&#39;s Liberation Army undergoes a sweeping anti-corruption purge which has implicated two former defence ministers and nine top generals.

Qin, 58, was abruptly removed as foreign minister in July last year after seven months in the job, and has not been seen in public since following rumours of an extramarital affair. He was removed from China&#39;s cabinet, the State Council, in October and &quot;resigned&quot; from the national legislative body in February.

He became one of the country&#39;s youngest foreign ministers when he was appointed in December 2022, enjoying a meteoric rise which analysts partly attributed to his closeness to President Xi. No official reason was given for Qin&#39;s resignation from the Central Committee.

&quot;Qin and Xi&#39;s images are somewhat tied - there is no way to make Qin look bad without making Xi look bad,&quot; said Wen-Ti Sung, a fellow at the Atlantic Council&#39;s Global China Hub.

&quot;Qin Gang is able to get a relatively more graceful exit. The communique grants him the dignity of appearing to &#39;resign&#39; on his own volition, and still calls him a &#39;comrade&#39;&quot;

Anti-corruption drive

Li Shangfu was ousted as defence minister last October without explanation, before being placed under a graft investigation. He was removed from the party&#39;s highest military command body in February.

Li Yuchao was replaced last July during a shakeup of the Rocket Force leadership which also saw its political commissar dismissed. He oversaw a highly strategic unit of the PLA responsible for the nation&#39;s conventional and nuclear missile arsenal.

The Central Committee&#39;s communique also pledged to deepen Chinese military reforms, &quot;uphold the party&#39;s leadership over the PLA&quot;, and to &quot;provide effective guarantees for achieving military and national defence modernisation&quot; - without mentioning the military corruption crackdown.

Agriculture minister Tang Renjian, 61, who has been under investigation for corruption since May, remains a member of the Central Committee.

&quot;One could see (the dismissals) as a sign of the continued vigour of Xi&#39;s anti-corruption campaign - or its sub-optimal effectiveness at preventing corruption even after more than a decade,&quot; said Sung.

Three alternate Central Committee members were appointed as full members according to the communique: Anhui provincial Communist Party personnel boss Ding Xiangqun, Sichuan provincial Communist Party personnel boss Yu Lijun and Beijing Normal University President Yu Jihong.

According to past convention, the Central Committee would appoint some of its 171 alternate members to fill in vacancies by order of the number of votes they received.

The new appointments this time skipped PLA Rocket Force deputy political commissar Ding Xingnong, who would have been second in line to join the Central Committee.

Former Central Committee alternate member and PLA Rocket Force chief of staff Lieutenant General Sun Jinming was also expelled from the Communist Party for corruption, the communique said.

Only 199 full Central Committee members and 165 alternate members attended the plenum, according to the communique.]]>
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			<title>Key witnesses to testify in £190m graft case</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2477085/key-witnesses-to-testify-in-190m-graft-case</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2477085/key-witnesses-to-testify-in-190m-graft-case#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 06 Jul 24 01:07:23 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2477085</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Azam Khan, Pervez Khattak among four summoned]]>
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				<![CDATA[An accountability court has summoned four additional prosecution witnesses, including former principal secretary to the PM Azam Khan and former PTI leader Pervez Khattak in the &pound;190m corruption case implicating former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi.

Islamabad Accountability Court-I Judge Muhammad Ali Warraich resumed the hearing of the reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) last year within a courtroom at Rawalpindi&rsquo;s Adiala Jail, where Imran and Bushra are currently detained.

Imran and Bushra appeared in court as PTI&rsquo;s lawyers Chaudhry Zaheer Abbas and Usman Gul completed the cross-examination of three additional prosecution witnesses: Ghulam Haider from the Asset Recovery Unit, Federal Board of Revenue Deputy Commissioner Lahore Muhammad Ali Taj, and Federal Investigation Agency Assistant Director Yasir Azeem.

At the NAB prosecutor&rsquo;s request, the accountability court summoned four key witnesses for the next hearing: former Principal Secretary Azam Khan, Pervez Khattak, Zubaida Jalal, and Gohar Abbas, the Patwari of Bani Gala.

The NAB legal team, including Amjad Pervez and Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, appeared in court. Cross-examinations of 30 witnesses have been completed, with 19 witnesses remaining.

At the beginning of the hearing, Imran Khan approached the rostrum and requested the judge to allow media personnel to sit in the front part of the courtroom, citing difficulties reporters faced in hearing court proceedings.

The judge instructed jail staff to bring the media forward, allowing media representatives to stand near the lawyers&rsquo; area for the first time. Later, the former PM and journalists sat together. Previously, during the hearings of three other cases, the media had been seated at the rear of the courtroom inside the jail.]]>
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			<title>Bajwa’s relative faces corruption inquiry</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2473730/bajwas-relative-faces-corruption-inquiry</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2473730/bajwas-relative-faces-corruption-inquiry#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 24 Jun 24 23:10:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2473730</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Sabir and two others, Chaudhry Ashraf and Hamid Mushtaq have been summoned before the ACE’s office on June 26]]>
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				<![CDATA[The FIA and Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab have issued call-up notices to Sabir Hameed alias Sabir Mithu, father-in-law of former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa&rsquo;s son, and his two associates for allegedly acquiring illegal assets.

According to the notices, Sabir as well as two other businessmen, Chaudhry Ashraf and Hamid Mushtaq, have been summoned to appear before the Anti-Corruption Establishment&rsquo;s office on June 26.

Similarly, the FIA has summoned Sabir and Ashraf on June 27. The agency has called Mushtaq to appear before it on June 28.]]>
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			<title>K-P procures ‘quality wheat directly from farmers’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2470197/k-p-procures-quality-wheat-directly-from-farmers</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2470197/k-p-procures-quality-wheat-directly-from-farmers#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jun 24 05:16:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2470197</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Ministers says nine officials suspended for corruption]]>
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				<![CDATA[For the first time in the history of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the provincial government procured high-quality wheat directly from farmers without compromising on quality or quantity, provincial Food Minister Zahir Shah Toru said on Thursday

Jointly presiding over a meeting with Adviser to Chief Minister on Information Barrister Dr Muhammad Ali Saif, on the completion of the wheat procurement target, Toru stated that an uncompromising approach had agitated the corrupt elements.

The meeting was attended by Food Secretary Zarif Al-Maani, Food Director Yasir Hassan, and other relevant officials. The secretary informed the meeting that the Food Department had introduced an online application to ensure transparency and efficiency in the wheat procurement. 

Local farmers and those from other provinces were registered through this app, while wheat was procured on the first-come-first-served basis. The meeting was further informed that the online app recorded procurement entry of 1.8 million metric tons of wheat against a target of 300,000 metric tons.

The food secretary pointed out that 22 procurement centers were monitored through CCTV cameras across the province and a five-member committee was formed to assess the quality of wheat. He added that nine officers had been suspended for violating rules and regulations.

This committee included representatives of the district and assistant food controllers, district administration, agriculture and revenue departments, flour mills association, as well as observers from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE).

Toru commended the successful procurement, stating that the campaign enhanced food security and economic activities in K-P. He directed the relevant officials to develop a procurement strategy based on this year&rsquo;s campaign to ensure a comprehensive plan for future wheat purchase.

Dr Saif, on the occasion, appreciated the efforts of Toru and the Food Department for completing the wheat procurement process transparently. He noted that due to wheat procurement, prices of wheat and flour had dropped, benefiting the underprivileged.

He said that the Punjab oppressed its farmers, but the K-P government provided them economic support. He accused the federal and Punjab governments of orchestrating a propaganda campaign against the K-P&rsquo;s procurement. He pledged impartial action if anyone was involved in corruption]]>
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			<title>FBR removes officers on corruption charges</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2469256/fbr-removes-officers-on-corruption-charges</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2469256/fbr-removes-officers-on-corruption-charges#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 31 May 24 20:29:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2469256</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Revenue board misses 11-month tax collection target by Rs36b]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Friday removed the heads of two field formations in Lahore along with a couple of other officers due to their alleged dubious role in sales tax refund and ordered a fact-finding inquiry to determine the veracity of allegations.

These officers were allegedly involved in taking kickbacks for issuing the Refund Payment Order (RPO) to a company manufacturing electronic goods. The FBR has also informed the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office about the action taken in the alleged corruption case, a top FBR official told The Express Tribune.

The development came amid the challenge of collecting Rs43 billion per day in June to meet the annual tax target after the revenue board missed the 11-month goal by a wide margin. It received Rs8.12 trillion in taxes during July-May 2023-24, falling short of the target by Rs36 billion.

The FBR issued a notification for removing the chief commissioner of Large Taxpayers Office (LTO), Lahore, chief commissioner of Regional Tax Office (RTO), Lahore and commissioner of LTO, Lahore. It issued another notification for suspending the deputy commissioner of RTO.

There was a dispute over the alleged distribution of money being taken for issuing the refund order, the FBR official said.

The FBR has ordered an inquiry, its spokesman Bakhtiar Muhammad said on Friday. It has removed one Grade-21 officer, two Grade-20 officers and one Grade-18 officer. A three-member fact-finding committee has been set up, headed by Muhammad Abid Raza Bodla, Chief Commissioner of Corporate Tax Office, Lahore.

Bakhtiar Muhammad said that based on a social media campaign, the FBR took proactive action by removing the officers facing allegations so that a fair inquiry could be made.

The dispute involving the two major tax offices underscores the need for continuing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s campaign to weed out corrupt elements from the FBR. It seems that the FBR people have remained undeterred despite the PM&rsquo;s action to remove 25 officers due to their inefficiency and bad reputation.

One of the officers removed on Friday was placed in B-category during the classification of FBR officers from A to D categories by the intelligence agencies, which was carried out on the instructions of the prime minister.

FBR Chairman Amjad Zubair Tiwana told The Express Tribune that he would personally make sure that the case was thoroughly investigated without any fear and favour and the matter would be taken to its logical end.

Meanwhile, the FBR collected Rs8.12 trillion in taxes during July-May 2023-24 with a 31% growth rate. The collection was Rs1.9 trillion higher than the last fiscal year. However, it missed the 11-month goal by Rs36 billion.

It now needs to collect Rs1.292 trillion in June to achieve the annual target of Rs9.415 trillion. Average daily collection will be around Rs43 billion compared to Rs24 billion per day collected so far. This shows that the FBR is going to miss its annual target by a wide margin.

For May, the government had set the tax target at Rs745 billion, which was exceeded by Rs15 billion. Income tax collection amounted to Rs3.85 trillion during the first 11 months of FY24, up 41%.

Sales tax collection reached Rs2.77 trillion, higher by Rs453 billion, or 20%. But it was far lower than the prevailing inflation rate. The FBR collected Rs452 billion in federal excise duty, which was Rs177 billion, or 55%, higher than the previous year. The collection on account of customs duty reached Rs994 billion, up Rs169 billion, or 21%. However, customs duty collection was significantly lower than the target, which was compensated by the higher collection of domestic taxes. The Customs is constantly falling short of its targets due to restrictions on imports.

The FBR said that the growth in domestic taxes had been calculated at 43% during May, which was very impressive. It has been the policy of the government to mobilise more resources from domestic taxes, it added. The FBR claimed that it was poised to achieve the assigned target for the last month of the current financial year.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2024.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Won’t tolerate corruption in FBR: Shehbaz</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2465231/wont-tolerate-corruption-in-fbr-shehbaz</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2465231/wont-tolerate-corruption-in-fbr-shehbaz#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 05 May 24 05:28:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[RAMEEZ KHAN.]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2465231</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Shahbaz says low revenue collection biggest challenge]]>
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				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while acknowledging the possibility of inadvertently removing some honest officers during a recent purge in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), stated on Saturday that his government would not tolerate any corrupt officers within the tax authority.

&quot;We might have made an honest mistake in removing some upright officers; if so, we will rectify the matter,&quot; Shehbaz said on Saturday while addressing a ceremony in Lahore held to honor honest and hardworking FBR officers.

The prime minister emphasized that the time had come &quot;to separate the wheat from the chaff&quot; and to base decisions of reward and punishment purely on merit.

This ceremony appeared to have been organized to alleviate fears and concerns among FBR officers following the purge, during which eleven of their most senior officers were removed based on adverse reports prepared by intelligence agencies.

The move was met with disapproval by members of the Pakistan Customs Groups, who reportedly passed a resolution demanding that details of the investigations be made public.

The PM highlighted that the biggest challenge facing the country is the low revenue collection in relation to the tax-to-GDP ratio.&nbsp; He stated that, by conservative estimates, Pakistan&#39;s revenue generation should be three to four times its current level.

Adding a rough estimate, he said that if revenue collection currently stands at Rs9 trillion, and the lowest end of the conservative estimate, which is three times, is employed, then our revenue generation should be &#39;21 trillion&#39; (27 trillion).

He remarked that this untaxed revenue was being siphoned off due to greed, fraud, and corruption&mdash;a situation that compels Pakistan to seek assistance from lenders.

&quot;This is a promise I made when I was elected as the PM two months ago, that step by step we would begin to distinguish between right and wrong in all major departments.&quot;

He said a new crop of officers would be elevated in the FBR purely on merit.

He regretted that Rs2.7 trillion was under litigation for over a decade at Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue. He said a new law has been made to help expedite these cases.

Shehbaz said new officers would be inducted through tests while their viva would be taken by people of impeccable repute.

He was referring to Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) members, who would be appointed through an open competition under the new scheme.

The PM said he had proposed a salary of Rs3 million for the ATIR members but the attorney general suggested keeping it on a par with the pay of high court judges to avoid any discrepancy.

He cited a case of tax fraud in which the national kitty was deprived of Rs750 billion via fake tax receipts. &ldquo;This amount is just tip of the iceberg as only tax books of three years have been reviewed.&rdquo;

He also termed the track and trace system introduced by the PTI government as the biggest fraud committed in the national history. He warned that if this system does not deliver, they will outsource it. &ldquo;It is a point of introspection,&rdquo; he said.

Earlier, the prime minister gave away the shields to the honest and hardworking officers of the FBR and said that he was feeling proud that the country had plenty of such honest officers which could play their due role in development and prosperity of the country.]]>
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			<title>Centre, provinces agree on DISCOs restructuring</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2460970/centre-provinces-agree-on-discos-restructuring</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2460970/centre-provinces-agree-on-discos-restructuring#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 29 Mar 24 14:57:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[news.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2460970</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PM vows zero tolerance against smuggling, corruption]]>
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				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday chaired a meeting on the measures against a spectrum of illegal activities.

Members of the federal cabinet, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, provincial chief ministers and high-level government officials were present in the meeting.

The agenda of the meeting was &ldquo;measures against spectrum of illegal activities and criminal mafias&rdquo;. The participants were briefed in detail on the steps taken against criminal mafias, smuggling, hoarding, money laundering, power theft and repatriation of illegal foreigners etc.

The participants acknowledged the importance of such actions and their positive impact on the economy and wellbeing of the people of Pakistan.

The meeting showed firm resolve to take action against smugglers, hoarders and market manipulators, who have impacted the economic trajectory and to provide immediate relief to common citizens.

The meeting approved agreements among federal and provincial governments on anti-power theft policy, restructuring of power distribution companies on modern lines, installation of smart meters for full eradication of power theft and ordered strict action against corrupt officers.

The army chief assured unwavering resolve of Pakistan Army to support the government&rsquo;s initiatives aimed at economic recovery of the country.

At the end, the prime minister directed all stakeholders to vigorously pursue various initiatives against spectrum of illegal activities and criminal mafias to ensure their accomplishment within stipulated the timeframe.

The prime minister said the government would not allow any political or bureaucratic interference in its move to curb smuggling, corruption, power theft and tax evasion in the country.

Also read: Finance minister to visit US on April 14 for talks with IMF

&ldquo;No political and bureaucratic influence will be allowed to interfere in this major surgery which we have to undertake collectively for the good of Pakistan and its 250 million people,&rdquo; the prime minister said while chairing a meeting on anti-smuggling.

He said it was very important to understand the real challenges of the country and then immediately fix them to revive and stabilize the economy.

For this, he said all stakeholders including the provinces, institutions, and armed forces will have to collaborate with the federal government to tackle one of the most important challenge of revival of economy.

The prime minister said illegal trade and smuggling were the biggest challenges that had badly dented the country&rsquo;s economy.

He recalled that in 2022, the coalition government allowed export of 250,000 tons of sugar, but it had to withdraw its decision &ldquo;because we were told that the surplus target was not up to that level&rdquo;. However, he said the same amount of sugar was later exported to Afghanistan.

Similarly, the prime minister pointed out that the country had to face loss of around Rs 400 to 500 billion annually in term of power theft, whereas leakages, transmission losses and line losses of electricity were other than that.

As regards tax revenues, he said the government&rsquo;s target this year was Rs 9 trillion. But it has the potential of collecting Rs 4 trillion extra revenues by streamlining the tax system and by curbing corruption and tax evasion.

He said a tax amount of Rs 2.7 trillion was still under litigation either in tribunals or in appellant courts. The government, he said would try its best to recover this amount.

Appreciating the efforts of the army chief in curbing smuggling and power theft, the prime minister said during the nine months of interim government, an amount of Rs58 billion was saved in the power sector.

Similarly, a significant improvement was witnessed in curbing smuggling in the country due to the commitment, will to do, and cooperation of all provinces, and the personal commitment and interest of the chief of army staff, the prime minister added.

Besides initiating reforms in certain sectors, he said the government was also committed to promote industry and agriculture sector in the country.

He informed that the government had chalked out a plan to fully digitize the system of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to boost the tax revenues in the country.

He said the well reputed and honest officers will be encouraged while the corrupt element will be discouraged.

As regards law and order situation, the prime minister said the government was determined to foil the evil designs of the enemy.]]>
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			<title>China Development Bank's ex-vice president under probe</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2459247/china-development-banks-ex-vice-president-under-probe</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2459247/china-development-banks-ex-vice-president-under-probe#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Mar 24 12:42:18 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2459247</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Authorities launch investigation against Li Jiping over severe violations of discipline]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Chinese authorities launched an investigation against former top bankers for suspected corruption, state-run media said on Wednesday.

Li Jiping, a former vice president of the state-owned China Development Bank, is under disciplinary and supervisory investigation, Xinhua News agency reported.

&quot;Li, also formerly a member of the bank&#39;s committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), is being investigated by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission for suspected severe violations of discipline and the law,&quot; the agency said, citing an official statement.

The latest development came after a Chinese court last month sentenced the former president of China Merchants Bank Co. (CMB) to death with a two-year reprieve on charges of taking bribes and insider trading.

Read also:&nbsp;Chinese defence minister under investigation for corrupt procurement

In January this year, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country&rsquo;s top anti-corruption body, said 110,000 Chinese Communist Party officials, including 45 senior officials, faced disciplinary action for corruption.

China&rsquo;s fight against corruption under President Xi Jinping has seen high-level officials sacked and punished, and many executed.

Last year, Xi sacked two top ministers, including Defense Chief Li Shangfu, who is allegedly facing a corruption probe.]]>
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			<title>Imran, Bushra indicted in £190m corruption case</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457763/imran-bushra-indicted-in-190m-corruption-case</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457763/imran-bushra-indicted-in-190m-corruption-case#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 27 Feb 24 08:34:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2457763</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Both the accused deny charges against them]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[An accountability court in Rawalpindi on Tuesday indicted former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the &pound;190 million corruption case.

Judge Nasir Javed Rana presided over the hearing at the Adiala Jail. Judge Nasir has replaced Judge Muhammad Bashir as he is retiring in a few weeks.

Judge Bashir was supposed to indict the ex-premier and former first lady on Jan 26 but the indictment was deferred to Jan 30. It was then scheduled for Feb 10 but was again deferred till Feb 27.

During the hearing, Judge Rana read out the charge sheet against the two. Both Imran and Bushra denied the charges.

The court then summoned five National Accountability Bureau (NAB) witnesses at the next hearing on March 6.

The case of six others including Zulfikar Bukhari, Farhat Shehzadi, and Shehzad Akbar, was separated.
The lawyers of the accused had requested provision of the copy of the challan again.

At one point, the judge inquired that Imran, &ldquo;please inform the court whether your teeth have been checked or not&rdquo;.
The PTI founder said that no dental check-up had been conducted yet. &ldquo;The prison administration had said that the doctor will come on Sunday, while now the prison administration is saying that the doctor will come next Sunday.&rdquo;

The court granted both requests for provision of general physician and dentist for medical examination and dental check-up of the PTI founder.

In December, NAB had filed a corruption reference against Imran and seven others, including his wife, in connection with the Al-Qadir University Trust.

The case alleges that Imran and Bushra obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals for legalising Rs50 billion &ndash; at that time &pound;190 million &ndash; that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.

The reference filed by NAB alleged that Imran, who is currently in jail, played a &ldquo;pivotal role in the illicit transfer of funds&rdquo;. It also claimed that despite being given multiple opportunities to justify and provide information, the accused deliberately, with mala fide intention, refused to give information on one pretext or another.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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			<title>PTI candidate faces probe over alleged corruption</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2455311/pti-candidate-faces-probe-over-alleged-corruption</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2455311/pti-candidate-faces-probe-over-alleged-corruption#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 02 Feb 24 21:08:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2455311</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Malik Umar Farooq is accused of collaborating with govt officials, resulting in severe damage to government treasury]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The anti-corruption department has initiated an inquiry into alleged corruption in development schemes involving former MPA and current NA-99 ticket holder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), Malik Umar Farooq. 

The anti-corruption vigilance wing is conducting a probe into Farooq, a former MPA and current MNA candidate, along with the Axon Building Revenue Officer and the former Chairman of the Market Committee Dijkot, to scrutinize the purported financial embezzlement. 

Malik Umar Farooq is accused of collaborating with government officials, resulting in severe damage to the government treasury. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2024.]]>
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			<title>Education dept accused of clandestine dealings</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2455208/education-dept-accused-of-clandestine-dealings</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2455208/education-dept-accused-of-clandestine-dealings#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 01 Feb 24 20:44:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Safdar Rizvi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2455208</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Irregularities in the purchase of biometric machines, development of campus facilities have called for an inquiry]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Academic institutions operating on government funds are directly answerable to accountability watchdogs for the scale and nature of their expenditures on technological upgrades, campus facilities and teacher training yet for many colleges operating under the Sindh School Education Department, no system of check and balance exists for probing into the financial decisions made by the administration.

Since the past three years, oral accounts of corruption at the Sindh School Education Department have been frequently making rounds however, in recent times the surfacing of documented evidence identifying financial irregularities in the purchase of biometric machinery, training of teachers, investment on sports and extra-curricular facilities, upgradation of furniture and refurbishment of digital libraries has led to the involvement of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and the Anti-Corruption Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), who have initiated an inquiry into the matter.

&ldquo;Apparently, there is an invisible force, which has encouraged the principals of almost all colleges to purchase expensive biometric machines from the same seller. Despite our search efforts, we have been unable to identify the terms of the contract. We also have no idea of how much money has been taken out from the reserves of the School Education Department only to be put into the pockets of unidentified businessmen,&rdquo; anonymously revealed the principal of a college listed under the concerned department.

According to sources of The Express Tribune, a notification was issued on December 13, 2023 by the Secretary of College Education Sindh, Sadaf Sheikh, directing the formation of a two-member inquiry committee to investigate the alleged irregularities in the purchase of overpriced biometric machines, worth Rs70,000 each from a single supplier, Power Solutions Private Limited.

Allegedly the preliminary inquiry into the irregularities and violations of rules was initiated after the Central Leader of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association, Professor Shahjahan Pehnoor and the former Principal of the Government Degree Boys College in Ghotki, Abdullah Bhutto complained to the department several times after presenting adequate evidence in support of their case, against Rashid Khoso, former assistant Director and current Deputy Secretary at the College Education Department, who had made phone calls for the procurement of the machines, but refused to disclose details on the transactions to the inquiring officer.

Read&nbsp;&lsquo;Technology to prevent corruption in education dept&rsquo;

When The Express Tribune contacted Solangi to inquire about the matter, he blatantly denied all claims of an ongoing inquiry and assured that he remained cleared by the department of any malpractice.

On the other hand, complainant Professor Shahjahan Pehnoor, dismissed Solangi&rsquo;s feign of innocence by confirming that he had recently been summoned by the inquiry committee to record his statement, and the concerned Deputy Secretary was also present there. &ldquo;The committee has registered a complaint on the matter,&rdquo; affirmed Pehnoor.

While the surfacing of financial discrepancies in the purchase of biometric machines has caught the attention of the inquiry committee, several other cases of alleged corruption within the College Education Department, remain unaddressed.

For instance, despite the release of Rs90 million by the Sindh government for the conduct of co-curricular activities, scientific experiments and sports leagues in colleges, there is no verification process for ensuring proper utilization of the funds.

Moreover, funds worth Rs67 million had also been released for the establishment of digital libraries in colleges. However, soon enough a violation of the rules led to the placement of sanctions on the purchase of specialized machines and other equipment for the library.

Furthermore, sources also claim that a whopping budget of Rs29.7 million had been allocated for the teacher training program, for covering all expenditures on organizing the sessions, including the travel fares of the teachers and coaches. Unfortunately, the training workshops too could not be a success.

In an attempt to inquire further on the discrepant dealings of the department, The Express Tribune tried contacting the current Secretary of Education, Sadaf Sheikh, but she refused to comment on the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2024.]]>
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			<title>Less corrupt?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2455173/less-corrupt</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2455173/less-corrupt#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 01 Feb 24 20:06:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
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			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2455173</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[CPI reveals that Pakistan has ascended seven places from 140 in 2022 to 133 out of 180 countries in 2023]]>
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				<![CDATA[Transparency International&rsquo;s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has revealed that Pakistan has ascended seven places from 140 in 2022 to 133 out of 180 countries in 2023. This positive shift suggests that the caretaker term yielded dividends in the form of enhanced stability during a period of economic volatility. Pakistan&rsquo;s CPI score rose from 27 in 2022 to 29 in 2023, underlining a tangible improvement in the fight against corruption and indicating that the caretaker government focused efforts on governance.

Considering the country&rsquo;s past riddled with high-profile corruption cases, the current CPI improvement perhaps hints at a turning point. The country continues to face challenges ranging from accountability processes against political figures to concerns about transparency in public institutions. However, this sudden improvement gives an opportunity to build on recent anti-corruption initiatives, particularly in the energy sector, and further solidify transparency and accountability. Given the prevailing economic situation, Pakistan finds itself compelled to streamline its affairs. The imperative to &ldquo;put its house in order&rdquo; signifies the need for comprehensive reforms and prudent governance strategies, which are essential for sustaining the positive trajectory. By leveraging this progress, Pakistan can bolster its credibility on the global stage and demonstrate a firm commitment to eradicating corruption in all its forms.

While this positive news raises hopes for continued progress, the looming uncertainty surrounding the upcoming elections introduces a degree of unpredictability. What the new set-up looks like will play a crucial role in determining whether this positive momentum can be sustained. Most importantly, post-election actions focused on anti-corruption initiatives will send a strong signal about the government&rsquo;s dedication to putting an end to corruption practices and paving the way for economic reform.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2024.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Pakistan ranked 133rd on global corruption index</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2454916/pakistan-ranked-133rd-on-global-corruption-index</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2454916/pakistan-ranked-133rd-on-global-corruption-index#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 30 Jan 24 13:50:12 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[news.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2454916</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[In 2023, Pakistan records a CPI score of 29 out of 100, showing improvement from its 2022 score of 27]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan has made headway in terms of graft as its ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) went up by seven places -- from 140 out of 180 countries in 2022 to 133 in 2023, the Transparency International (TI) on Tuesday stated in its report.

The country&rsquo;s overall score improved by two points -- against 27 out of 100 in 2022 to 29 in 2023.
The TI&rsquo;s CPI ranks 180 countries and territories from a number of different sources that provide perceptions by businesspeople and experts of the level of corruption in the public sector.

The CPI is calculated using 13 different independent data sources and uses a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

TI Pakistan Chairman Justice (retd) Zia Perwez said it was encouraging to note that Pakistan&rsquo;s score had improved.

He added that the policies aimed at better governance and effective enforcement of the law were expected to yield positive results in the future, as well as implementation of the recommendations by TI.



Released: Tl has released flagship Corruption Perception Index 2023. In CPI 2023 #Pakistan score has improved by 2 points from 27 in 2022 to 29 in CPI 2023 and rank has improved by 7 positions from 140 in CPI 2022 to 133 in CPI 2023. Details: https://t.co/3WRCY9Oq8L pic.twitter.com/iBVuCYs7aP
&mdash; Transparency International Pakistan (@TIPakistan1) January 30, 2024


It is pertinent to mention that neighbouring India&rsquo;s CPI score dropped from 40 in 2022 to 39 in 2023.
Reacting to the report, the PML-N shared a post on social media platform X, claiming that after four years of utter corruption under former premier Imran Khan&rsquo;s rule, Pakistan managed to &ldquo;curb this nuisance&rdquo; in the country when Shehbaz Sharif became the prime minister.

The TI&rsquo;s 2023 CPI showed that most countries had made little to no progress in tackling public sector corruption.

The CPI global average remains unchanged at 43 for the 12th year in a row, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50.

According to the Rule of Law Index, the world is experiencing a decline in the functioning of justice systems, the report read.



PHOTO: TRANSPARENCY INTERATIONAL

Countries with the lowest scores in this index are also scoring very low on the CPI, highlighting a clear connection between access to justice and corruption, it added.

It continued that both authoritarian regimes and democratic leaders undermining justice contributed to increasing impunity for graft and, in some cases, even encouraged it by removing consequences for those involved in corrupt practices.

&ldquo;Corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check,&rdquo; TI Chair Francois Valerian said.

&ldquo;When justice is bought or politically interfered with, it is the people who suffer. Leaders should fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and tackle corruption. It is time to end impunity for corruption,&rdquo; he continued.



PHOTO: TRANSPARENCY INTERATIONAL

Read: PHC seeks Transparency&rsquo;s corruption report

Denmark tops the index for the sixth consecutive year with a score of 90. Finland and New Zealand are following closely with scores of 87 and 85, respectively. The report stated that because of well-functioning justice systems, these countries were also among the top scorers in the Rule of Law Index.

Somalia (11), Venezuela (13), Syria (13), South Sudan (13), and Yemen (16) take the bottom spots in the index. They are all affected by protracted crises, mostly armed conflicts.



PHOTO: TRANSPARENCY INTERATIONAL

The report read that 23 countries &mdash; among them some high-ranking democracies including Iceland (72), the Netherlands (79), Sweden (82) and the United Kingdom (71), as well as some authoritarian states like Iran (24), Russia (26), Tajikistan (20), and Venezuela (13) were at their historic lows on the 2023 CPI index.

Read also: SBP all set to replace currency notes in circulation to curb corruption

As per the report, 12 countries have significantly declined on their CPI scores since 2018. The list includes low and middle-income countries including El Salvador (31), Honduras (23), Liberia (25), Myanmar (20), Nicaragua (17), Sri Lanka (34) and Venezuela (13), as well as upper-middle and high income economies like Argentina (37), Austria (71), Poland (54), Turkey (34), and the United Kingdom (71).



PHOTO: TRANSPARENCY INTERATIONAL

&nbsp;

Eight countries improved on the CPI during that same period including Ireland (77), South Korea (63), Armenia (46), Vietnam (42), the Maldives (40), Moldova (39), Angola (33), and Uzbekistan (31).



PHOTO: TRANSPARENCY INTERATIONAL]]>
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			<title>Caretaker govt approves unlawful promotions</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2454125/caretaker-govt-approves-unlawful-promotions</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2454125/caretaker-govt-approves-unlawful-promotions#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jan 24 21:19:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Safdar Rizvi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2454125</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Hundreds of unlawful promotions of junior officers in School Education Department on basis of nepotism, bribery]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[In the absence of an elected government, a caretaker administration is tasked with overseeing the steady functioning of state apparatus until elections are held however, when officials holding ad hoc appointments start exceeding the purview of their authority, bribery and corruption start dominating the recruitment and promotion process of employees across all departments.

Despite the previous elected government renouncing the promotion of non-qualifying officers on the basis of bribery, the current caretaker administration has allegedly given their approbation for hundreds of unlawful promotions of junior officers in the School Education Department on the basis of nepotism and bribery, with many employees from Grades 1 to 4 promoted to Grade 11, triggering resentment among many senior employees, who contest that the rules of seniority among other recruitment formalities have been utterly disregarded during the controversial promotion process.

For instance, Farhanul Haq, an employee at the Government Boys Secondary School in Liaquatabad, was appointed by the department in his current post way back in 1993. &ldquo;There are 17 other employees like me, who have been awaiting their promotion since decades. It&rsquo;s demoralizing to see our 20 years junior officers receiving the promotion that we had been eyeing for so long,&rdquo; bemoaned Farhan.

According to details obtained by the Express Tribune, on 5th January 2024, the School Education Department had announced the contentious promotions of 397 non-teaching staff from Grades 1 to 4 to Grade 11, under the recommendation of the Departmental Promotion Committee also known as the Scrutiny Committee. Furthermore, it was learnt that most of these promoted employees were not qualified for the upgrade either due to unwarranted absences from duty, non-clearance of dues, non-completion of qualifying terms or non-fulfilment of conditions of seniority.

Read&nbsp;Officer facing corruption inquiry gets promotion

&ldquo;A veteran officer awaiting promotion since 1987 was ignored, while a novice hired in 2017 was promoted. This is a pure case of bribery, hidden behind the guise of the Scrutiny Committee&rsquo;s decision,&rdquo; asserted Yar Muhammad Baladi, Director School Education Karachi (Primary and Secondary), who went on to inform that he was preparing a report on the matter, which will soon be taken up to the Secretary of the School Education Department for review.

It is worthy of mentioning that due to these violations, there is a lot of frustration and anxiety among the employees of the department who were awaiting their promotions since a very long time and are now very close to retirement but could not be promoted since they refused to give bribes. In essence, the bribes have allowed promotions to be given to employees recruited in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018 and 2019 while taking away the right of promotion from the senior employees recruited back in the 1980s and 1990s.

Hence, in the aftermath of these promotions, the situation in the Directorate has become so grim that many District Education Officers (DEOs) have written a letter to the School Education Department imploring it to cancel these promotions immediately.

When contacted, a District Education Officer, revealed on the condition of anonymity that the DEO&rsquo;s of central, south, west and Malir districts had also written letters in order to call out the Scrutiny Committee for manipulating its privileges.

In an attempt to inquire further on the matter, the Express Tribune reached out to the Secretary of School Education, Shireen Narejo, but no response was given.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23rd, 2024.]]>
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			<title>Crackdown on corrupt officials ordered</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2452753/crackdown-on-corrupt-officials-ordered</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2452753/crackdown-on-corrupt-officials-ordered#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Jan 24 20:53:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2452753</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Issues related to Board of Revenue, Forest, Education, Health, Galyat Development Authority highlighted]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A large number of delegation consisting of elders from Tehsil Khanpur, District Haripur called on the caretaker Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Justice (retd) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah on Tuesday and apprised him of the public issues of urgent nature of the area.

The issues were mostly related to Board of Revenue, Forest, Education, Health and Galyat Development Authority. Provincial Caretaker Ministers Amir Nadeem Durrani, Barrister Feroz Jamal Shah Kakakhel and spokesperson to the Chief Minister Brig (retd) Syed Mujtaba Tirmizi were also present on this occasion.

Read&nbsp;Re-organisation of anti-corruption department suggested

The elders made complaints against the officials of revenue staff for taking bribes in mutations, issuance of fard and other service delivery matters. The caretaker Chief Minister while taking notice of the alleged mal practice on the part of concerned revenue staff, directed Anti-corruption Establishment to immediately register case against the officials involved in corruption, adding that elements found involved in corrupt practices would not be spared.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2024.]]>
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			<title>‘Corrupt officials patronise illegal construction’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2452194/corrupt-officials-patronise-illegal-construction</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2452194/corrupt-officials-patronise-illegal-construction#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Jan 24 20:29:12 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Naeem Khanzada]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2452194</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sources say SBCA employees are involved in allowing unauthorised portions]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A coterie of corrupt officials in the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has become a strong mafia, sources in the authority said. 

The mafia in SBCA, with the backing of influential people including officials, is sheltering illegal construction of portions against bribes running into millions of rupees, an SBCA officer said requesting anonymity.

Residents of the Jamshed Town Zone 2 told The Express Tribune that over the last two decades, thousands of people demolished their old houses and reconstructed residences carved into small portions on the same plot. 

Therefore, on a plot of 400 square yards where two families lived on the ground and the first floor, 12 portions of 100 square yards were built in ground plus two structures. 

Thus instead of two, now there are 12 families living on the same plot, though the water, sewerage and power supply infrastructure remains unchanged.

The development of portions has put an overwhelming burden on the infrastructure while the practice has therefore been banned by the Sindh High Court. 

Read&nbsp;Interim CM sacks seven &lsquo;corrupt officers&rsquo; of BoR

SBCA sources said that surprisingly, development of portions was being carried out in parts of the city which are already hit by the sewage and water issues. These illegal constructions will further damage the infrastructure. Although the courts are constantly issuing orders, the illegal construction continues.

The lack of action from the SBCA and the offices of the deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners also embolden people involved in the illegal construction.

Sources said SBCA officials were involved in illegal constructions in the city, particularly in the east district, especially in Jamshed Town Zone Two. The illegal development was distorting the face of the planned localities, they said.

An extremely powerful Grade 14 officer in SBCA is supposed to own the whole Jamshed Town Zone 2 system. Residential units are being built with his consent. Sources say that the officer has the responsibility of different areas of Gulshan-e-Iqbal. 

The corrupt officer is so powerful that he even flouts orders of director of SBCA east district. 

Additionally, instead of SBCA director general, officers of Grade 16, 17, and 18 posted in Jamshed Town Zone 2 report to the said Grade 14 officers, sources added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2024.]]>
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			<title>Massive corruption in police dept unearthed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2451186/massive-corruption-in-police-dept-unearthed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2451186/massive-corruption-in-police-dept-unearthed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 26 Dec 23 07:28:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[TAHA UBAIDI]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2451186</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Extra fuel consumption trackers installed in official vehicles including mobile vans]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Massive corruption has been unearthed in the police department through fuel consumption by mobile vans amounting to millions of rupees every month. Huge consumption of petrol and diesel is shown by masterly installing up to five consumption trackers in each van causing losses to the exchequer.

An investigation has been initiated after obtaining evidence including videos. Sindh Police, during the tenure of former inspector general A.D. Khwaja in 2017, took notice of use of fuel beyond limits had installed fuel consumption tracker in all police vans to keep a check on fuel theft.

But this system also did not work as up to five trackers were masterly installed in each vehicle including patrolling vans, security police mobiles as well as the vehicles in the use of DSP rank officers to show high usage and claim fuel costs. Fuel consumption was also being showed in various vehicles which were not even in the use.

According to sources of Karachi Police Office, Additional IG Karachi Khadim Hussain Rind has taken notice of installation of five tracker system on a police mobile and has ordered an investigation. Sindh Police had sent a letter to Sindh Home Department at the beginning of the year asking for an additional fund of Rs50 million for SSU, Security One, Security Two, Foreign Security Cell, Court Police and Guard Force.

Read&nbsp;Two independents complain of police harassment

From the law and order budget, the Sindh government had asked for a fund of Rs100.36 million for SSU, Rs14.88 million for Security One, Rs89 million for Security Two, Rs11.3 million for Foreign Security Cell, Rs31.7 million for Court police, Rs124.7 million for Security Force.

Similarly, during the year 2022-23, Ghotki, Kashmore and Shikarpur police have used fuel worth Rs360 million.

In Ghotki, 70 mobiles and 17 armoured vehicles consumed diesel and petrol worth Rs190 million, 65 police mobiles and 16 armoured vehicles consumed diesel and petrol worth Rs70 million in Kashmore, while 70 police mobiles and 7 armoured vehicles consumed fuel worth Rs100 million.

Despite getting a budget of billions of rupees, the law and order situation in Sindh is still a big question mark. Police have not been able to get any success against street crimes, extortion, kidnapping for ransom and Kutcha area daciots in the province.]]>
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			<title>Panamagate shadow vanishes for Nawaz</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2449797/panamagate-shadow-vanishes-for-nawaz</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2449797/panamagate-shadow-vanishes-for-nawaz#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 12 Dec 23 10:52:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Fiaz Mahmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2449797</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[IHC acquits PML-N supremo in Al-Azizia reference; rejects NAB request to send the case back to trail court]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday potentially laid to rest the specter of Panamagate haunting former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s political resurgence. The IHC, led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, absolved him in the remaining case from the Panama verdict &ndash; the Al-Azizia reference.

During the hearing of Nawaz&#39;s appeal against his conviction in the Al-Azizia reference, the two-judge bench nullified the accountability court&#39;s seven-year imprisonment sentence. Additionally, the court rejected the National Accountability Bureau&#39;s (NAB) plea to return the reference to the trial court.

The court&#39;s decision nullified the accountability court&#39;s imposition of a seven-year imprisonment sentence, while rejecting the National Accountability Bureau&#39;s (NAB) plea to return the reference to the trial court.

CJ Aamer Farooq pointed out during the proceedings that Wajid Zia, a witness, himself conceded a lack of evidence to substantiate ownership claims.&quot;The NAB document fails to establish anything. Conjectures do not warrant punishment,&quot; he remarked.

The verdict marks a potentially turning point in Nawaz Sharif&#39;s legal battles, clearing the final remnant of the Panamagate cloud that had loomed over his attempts to reassert his political standing.

It is pertinent to note that the PML-N supremo&rsquo;s disqualification from holding public office persists as decreed by the Supreme Court in the aftermath of the Panama Papers case.

Furthermore, in a subsequent ruling that interpreted Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution, which pertains to honesty and trustworthiness, the apex court confirmed that this disqualification is perpetual, barring him from public office for life.

However, earlier this year, amendments were introduced to the Elections Act, of 2017, reducing the disqualification period for lawmakers to a maximum of five years, applying retroactively.

For Nawaz to be eligible to participate in the upcoming elections slated for February 8, 2024, the removal of a lifelong ban on holding any public office is imperative.

Nonetheless, the party believes the eligibility battle is over, making his path to PM Office all but clear and smooth.

&lsquo;Vindicated once again&#39;

After the verdict, PML-N supporters celebrated outside the court premises by distributing sweets, accompanied by chants in support of Nawaz Sharif.

Expressing gratitude, the PML-N leader thanked the divine.PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said his brother had been &ldquo;vindicated once again&rdquo;.

&ldquo;The sham cases created to disqualify a sitting prime minister are finally meeting their fate,&rdquo; he said in a post on X.&ldquo;The seven years wasted were not just a personal loss but a loss of development and prosperity of Pakistan,&rdquo; he said.

He said he was optimistic that the country would prosper once again under Nawaz&rsquo;s leadership.PML-N&rsquo;s Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Nawaz had been &ldquo;acquitted in all cases&rdquo;.

&ldquo;The reality of these fake and false cases has been exposed before the public,&rdquo; she said in a post on X. &ldquo;God Willing, Nawaz will become premier for a fourth time with the people&rsquo;s vote,&rdquo; she said.

She posted videos capturing a smiling Nawaz receiving congratulations from lawyers within the courtroom.

Khawaja Asif said that Nawaz had entrusted his affairs to God and has been eventually vindicated. However, he regretted that the challenges and trials faced by the PML-N leader over the years could never be fully compensated.

In a post on X, the PML-N leader said the nation would have to decide on election day who would answer for the &ldquo;destruction wrought&rdquo; over the past few years and called on the people to come and vote for Nawaz.

Read: IHC to decide Al-Azizia case &lsquo;on merit&rsquo;

&lsquo;No evidence&rsquo;

At the outset of the hearing, Nawaz&#39;s counsel took to the rostrum and said he wanted to argue about Nawaz&#39;s dependants.

When Justice Farooq informed him that his arguments had been concluded, Pervaiz stated that he only wanted to argue on this single point.

The bench then inquired if NAB had proven anything regarding Nawaz&#39;s dependents. The counsel said that Wajid Zia, a witness, had admitted that there was no evidence connected to the PML-N leader&#39;s dependants.

He added that several verdicts are available on the definition of benami cases and said the defence had also raised objections in front of the trial court.

He maintained that no single application proved Nawaz was the owner of these assets. He also reminded the court that the trial court had relied on a TV interview of Nawaz&#39;s son, Hussain Nawaz, even though he stated that the &quot;matter did not concern Nawaz&quot;.

The counsel highlighted that the accountability court&#39;s basis rested on Hussain Nawaz&#39;s miscellaneous petition, submitted to the SC, which does not conclusively establish Nawaz&#39;s ownership of these assets.

Emphasizing a critical point, he mentioned that the relied-upon plea wasn&#39;t even included in the official record.

He further clarified that the prosecution&#39;s responsibility was to substantiate several key elements including demonstrating Nawaz Sharif&#39;s public office tenure when the assets were amassed, providing evidence of the assets&#39; income and value, and proving the creation of any benami properties under whose custody these assets were held.

The absence of substantial evidence regarding these crucial aspects, he argued, fails to establish a case of assets exceeding the declared income.

Stating that the accused is innocent until proven guilty and the onus lies on the prosecution to prove the charges. &quot;The accused can not be forced to prove his innocence,&quot; said Pervaiz.

He reiterated that the prosecution team could not &quot;present a single piece of evidence, therefore the burden of proof can not be transferred onto the accused,&quot; he said concluding his arguments.

The NAB prosecutor then took the rostrum and started by narrating the sequence of events which led to Nawaz&#39;s conviction.

Earlier, strict security arrangements were made in and around the court premises and a heavy contingent of police was deployed. A large number of pro-PML-N lawyers were also present within the court premises while a large crowd of the party&#39;s supporters were present outside the IHC premises.

Islamabad Accountability Court-II judge Arshad Malik on December 24, 2018, convicted Nawaz in the Al-Azizia case, sentencing him to seven years in prison while imposing on him a fine of $2.5 million.

The same judge had acquitted the former PM in the Flagship case. The accountability judge had, however, become controversial after the emergence of videos in July 2019 in which he could be seen allegedly confessing to a PML-N leader that he convicted Nawaz &ldquo;under duress.&rdquo;

The apex court bench, hearing petitions filed in the wake of the video scandal, had in August 2019 ordered action against Malik and a disciplinary committee of the Lahore High Court (LHC) had in July 2020 sacked the judge in view of misconduct.

However, interestingly, Nawaz&rsquo;s counsels, who had earlier filed civil miscellaneous applications in the IHC seeking acquittal of the PML-N leader in the Al-Azizia case in view of the video scandal, announced that Nawaz did not want to press his application due to Malik&rsquo;s demise.

On November 29, the same bench acquitted Nawaz in the Avenfield corruption reference, a case in which Nawaz Sharif was convicted by an accountability court in July 2018. The court had also accepted NAB&rsquo;s request to withdraw its appeal against the accountability court&rsquo;s order to acquit Nawaz in the Flagship reference.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>NAB increases scrutiny of Sindh Assembly’s secretary</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2449650/nab-increases-scrutiny-of-sindh-assemblys-secretary</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2449650/nab-increases-scrutiny-of-sindh-assemblys-secretary#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 11 Dec 23 07:08:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2449650</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Inquiry has now been initiated by NAB after a lapse of more than five years]]>
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				<![CDATA[The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has intensified its scrutiny of Sindh Assembly Secretary&nbsp;Ghulam Mohammed Umar Farooq Buriro, launching an investigation into 12 people associated with him, including family members.

Barro is accused of amassing assets through corruption and the abuse of power.

In the latest development, NAB Karachi has formally requested details of the properties owned by Buriro. It has also sought information on the properties owned by 12 people, including his family members.

NAB Karachi has sent letters to all deputy commissioners of Sindh, asking them to provide comprehensive property records, encompassing flats, plots, shops, and houses, pertaining to the 12 members of the Buriro family, particularly Saima Khatoon, Nasir Hussain, Esha Bano, and Humaira Bano.

The inquiry, which had been delayed for a long time, has now been initiated by NAB after a lapse of more than five years.

Read&nbsp;NAB recovered Rs2.3tr, saved $10b: chairman

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the record of 200 acres of land has been changed in Sinjhoro tehsil of Sanghar district.

The land records at Sinjhoro have been changed in favour of Ashfaq Sriwal, Imdad Sriwal, Ehsan Sriwal and Nisar Mangrio with the connivance of revenue officers, sources said. The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and the Revenue Department have started separate investigations into the matter of illegally changing records.

The anti-corruption investigation officer has written letter to the mukhtiarkar of the Sinjhoro tehsil and directed him to provide all the records. On the other hand, the Secretary Irrigation also took notice of the illegal water course taken out to settle the land and ordered to close the water course and take action.

ACE officials told The Express Tribune that former MPA&#39;s nephew Rana Wajid is also accused of illegally setting up a petrol pump on the land, which is under investigation.]]>
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			<title>‘Collective efforts crucial to curb corruption’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2449295/collective-efforts-crucial-to-curb-corruption</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2449295/collective-efforts-crucial-to-curb-corruption#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 07 Dec 23 20:21:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2449295</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Moot highlights significance of holding individuals accountable]]>
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				<![CDATA[Participants of a moot Thursday stressed the significance of individuals holding themselves accountable and working together to combat corruption in society.

Speaking at a seminar titled &quot;Curbing Corruption through a Documented Economy,&quot; organised by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in partnership with the Legal Aid and Justice Authority (LAJA), they emphasised the importance of everyone committing to performing their duties diligently.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Deputy Chairman Sohail Nasir suggested that children should take on an active role in preventing corruption in their surroundings.

He observed that our societal behaviour, often marked by negativity and indiscriminate criticism, has the potential to erode the fabric of society.

Addressing the gathering, NAB Rawalpindi Director General Mirza Irfan Baig expressed that corruption is a curse as it disrupts the peace of society. He underscored the significance of refraining from seeking positions undeservedly and highlighted the necessity of ensuring self-accountability.

Read:&nbsp;Rs340m corruption unearthed in finance dept

He mentioned that NAB Rawalpindi is currently handling cases involving Rs8 billion, with an overall successful recovery of Rs350 billion. Recently, NAB facilitated the return of Rs600 million to the affected individuals of Arain City, and its conviction ratio stands at over 61 per cent.

Chairman of the Benazir Income Support Programme, Dr Amjad Saqib, emphasized the importance of personal transformation and advocated for demanding behavioural change from oneself before expecting it from others.

He mentioned that his organisation, Akhuwat, has provided loans to more than six million deserving individuals to help them start their businesses. To date, over Rs220 billion has been disbursed, achieving an impressive recovery ratio of 99.9 per cent.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Housing ministry under fire over FGEHA projects</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448441/housing-ministry-under-fire-over-fgeha-projects</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448441/housing-ministry-under-fire-over-fgeha-projects#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 29 Nov 23 20:21:30 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Naeem Asghar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2448441</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Senate body slams officials over improper inductions, corruption]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works has sought a report about Rs500 million in funds that were released for development schemes to the ministry and the status of work on these projects.

The panel, headed by Senator Haji Hidayatullah, also reprimanded officials, including the housing secretary, over illegal appointments and corrupt practices. The panel noted that other than causing losses to the exchequer, it would also impact those government employees who were allotted residences in the housing projects developed under the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA).

It was also revealed that provincial quota was ignored in recruitment, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa given more seats. 

FGEHA Director General Captain (retired) Zafar Iqbal said that four projects were started by the authority, which include Kashmir Heights, Chaklala Heights, Skyline Apartments and Lifestyle Residency. 

The panel was informed that the contract awarded for the construction of one of the projects, Lifestyle Residency, was given to a company that lack the requisite expertise and certification. The company that was awarded the project also did not have the funds to execute it, the panel was told.

Read:&nbsp;&lsquo;Don&rsquo;t advertise illegal housing schemes&rsquo;

Meanwhile, construction on Chaklala Heights started in 2020 but had to be stopped due to the pandemic and the ensuing inflation. It brought other projects to a standstill as well, Iqbal said.

Panel members pointed out that they had been previously given dates regarding the start of work but it was yet to happen, wasting resources and driving up costs.

Dr. Shahzad Khan Bangash, the secretary of the housing department, responded that contractors had refused to work at the old prices after which they had reached a settlement.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Cops arrested on extortion charges</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448366/cops-arrested-on-extortion-charges</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448366/cops-arrested-on-extortion-charges#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 29 Nov 23 07:40:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2448366</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[SHO and head clerk of police station suspended for negligence]]>
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				<![CDATA[At least four police personnel were arrested for allegedly extorting cricketer Sohaib Maqsood in the Sakrand area of Sindh on the directives of Sindh Inspector General Rifat Mukhtar Raja.

On Monday night, Maqsood took to X [formerly Twitter] and said that he was stopped by the police while travelling from Karachi to Multan by road and was extorted by Sindh police officials.

He further wrote that the provincial police is &quot;so corrupt&quot; and that he is &quot;so lucky&quot; to live in Punjab.

According to a statement from Sindh police, four policemen of Sakrand were found involved in the incident. The police spokesperson said that legal action is being taken against them and that a First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged.

The SHO of the police station and the chief clerk have also been suspended for negligence, the press statement further added.

The cricketer also claimed in the post that despite informing the police officials that &quot;we are international cricketers travelling to Multan after a match in Karachi&quot;, the police officials still extorted Rs8,000 from them.&nbsp;

Maqsood added that the police had threatened to take them to the police station if they do not pay.

Read:&nbsp;Sindh police personnel arrested for extorting cricketer

IGP Sindh, taking notice of the incident and directed DIG Shaheed Benazirabad to investigate the matter immediately and submit a report to him.

The sportsman revealed that he was travelling with another cricketer around midnight when he was stopped by a couple of policemen demanding documents of the vehicle.

Maqsood added that the officers initially warned him of a Rs100,000 penalty for the usage of high-beam lights. To this, the cricketer said: &quot;I informed him that checking papers was not within their jurisdiction, and if traffic police were to stop us, they would typically impose a fine of up to Rs2,500.&quot;

After this, the cricketer was threatened by them that he would be taken to the police station. &quot;After negotiation, we gave him Rs8,000&quot;, he commented and added: &quot;This incident frightened us since it was nighttime and an isolated place.&quot;]]>
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			<title>‘Corruption damages beauty of Hyderabad</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448364/corruption-damages-beauty-of-hyderabad</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448364/corruption-damages-beauty-of-hyderabad#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 29 Nov 23 07:23:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Z Ali.]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2448364</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Observes that city offered a reflection of a place brimming with garbage heaps]]>
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				<![CDATA[In an uncommon criticism, the Caretaker Chief Minister, Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, chastised the bureaucracy and civic officials for &#39;defacing&#39; the beauty of Hyderabad.

&quot;The inefficiency, corruption, and unwillingness to work have destroyed and defaced the beautiful city of Hyderabad,&quot; he told them at a meeting at Shahbaz Building, regional bureaucracy headquarters, in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

&quot;I know you have played havoc with every civic facility,&quot; he berated. &quot;Neither the city is swept properly, nor is the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) properly operating its sewerage and water supply network.&quot;

Read&nbsp;Caretaker Sindh CM sacks seven &#39;corrupt officers&#39; of BoR

He observed that the city offered a reflection of a place brimming with garbage heaps while hard and soft encroachments have visibly messed up the matters further.

&quot;This mess is unacceptable and intolerable at all and the responsible will face the consequences,&quot; he warned, telling the officials that he will deal with them ruthlessly if they do not mend their ways.

Reportedly, he started his two-day visit to Hyderabad from Monotechnic Institute, Kohsar, which functions under Sindh Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (STEVTA).]]>
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			<title>CM orders inquiry into Gorakh Hill project</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448110/cm-orders-inquiry-into-gorakh-hill-project</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448110/cm-orders-inquiry-into-gorakh-hill-project#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Nov 23 20:36:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Hafeez Tunio]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2448110</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Authority meant for development of hill station plagued with corruption]]>
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				<![CDATA[After the reports of massive bungling and misappropriation of funds in the development of the Gorakh Hill Station, one of highest plateaus of Sindh located in Dadu district, Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar sought an explanation from the director general of the Gorakh Hill Authority.

The CM said that the Gorakh Hill project, despite using huge amount of funds, has not been completed. He said there were reports that the funds were pocketed by the officers concerned.

He added that the project has 18 drivers and a fleet of vehicles but most of them were being misused for other purposes.

Interim CM said that he has received reports that the 12 cooks of the Gorakh Hill Project were working at the homes of private persons instead of working at the resort and even the resorts were being misused instead of hosting tourists.

The CM directed the chief secretary to issue an explanation letter to the director of the project and initiate a high-level inquiry to probe into the matters and report to him within 15 days.

Officials having knowledge of the developments told The Express Tribune that billions of rupees have been earmarked since the Gorakh Development Authority was established in 2008 after Sindh Assembly passed the law. &quot;The development authority was supposed to acquire 284,597 acres of land but is misused Rs23 billion in the name of development of the hill station which is considered as Murree of Sindh,&quot; an official referring to a report said adding that chief minister was informed how development work has only been shown in papers by doing nothing on ground.

It may be mentioned here that Gorak, situated at a height of 5688 feet above sea level, was first identified as a potential tourist spot by the British government in 1860, it was in 1988 that late Pakistan People Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto undertook Gorakh Hill&#39;s development.

As per the plan, resorts, golf clubs, parks, a zoo, a chairlift facility, a helipad, waterfalls, houses, residential apartments, motels, slaughterhouses, vocational training centres, amenity facilities, such as schools, dispensaries, maternity homes, restaurants and tuck shops are to be set up at the hill station. Besides, initiatives have also been planned for industrial and socio-economic development.

Read&nbsp;Caretaker Sindh CM sacks seven &#39;corrupt officers&#39; of BoR

Since then, the initiative remains in limbo, with the hill station witnessing no proper development.

No sanitary worker to dive into sewer

Caretaker CM has directed Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) and other municipal organisations to stop sending the sanitary worker into manholes to pen clogged gutters.

Use machinery instead of human beings for opening the choked gutters, Baqar said taking serious notice of the practice and method under which sanitary workers are sent inside the choked gutters, full of toxic water and gases.

Sending workers in choked overflowing gutters is totally unacceptable attitude, he said asserting this inhuman practice needs to be stopped at once, he said.

Baqar directed KWSC and other agencies to use machinery for opening chocked gutters.

Justice Baqar gave these directives to the KWSC top management in a meeting he chaired at CM House recently and now similar instructions have been given to all the organisations involved in managing and maintaining the sewerage system in the province.

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>£190m case hearing to resume today</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448125/190m-case-hearing-to-resume-today</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448125/190m-case-hearing-to-resume-today#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 27 Nov 23 04:59:12 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2448125</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[NAB likely to request for an extension in Imran’s remand period before accountability court]]>
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				<![CDATA[&nbsp;A trial court is scheduled to resume on Monday (today) the hearing of the &pound;190 million corruption case, with former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi as the primary defendants.

Judge Muhammad Bashir of the Islamabad Accountability Court-I will preside over the hearing in a courtroom within Rawalpindi&rsquo;s Adiala Jail, where Imran, also the chairman of the PTI party, is currently detained.

The court is expected to address Bushra&rsquo;s request for interim bail in the case.

Additionally, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the prosecution in the case, is set to ask for another remand period for the former premier.

Previously, the court remanded Imran&mdash;who is already in prison&mdash;to NAB custody concerning the graft investigation.

The court had instructed NAB to conclude its investigation and present a report by Nov 27 (today).
On Sunday, a&nbsp;NAB team conducted continuous interrogation sessions of the PTI chairman at the Adiala Jail for 13 hours &ndash; 9:30am till 10:45pm. The NAB team completed the investigation against the PTI chairman.

During the hearing on Monday (today), Imran&rsquo;s wife, his sisters &ndash; Aleema Khan, Uzma Khanum, and Noreen Khanum&mdash;are also scheduled to appear in court.

Read&nbsp;Imran moves SC for bail in &pound;190m case

Imran is expected to confer with his legal team.

Tight security measures have been implemented within and around the jail premises in preparation for the hearing.

On May 9, NAB officials, aided by paramilitary Rangers, arrested Imran from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in connection with the case.

This abrupt arrest triggered violent protests across the country, allegedly led by PTI workers and supporters, who attacked military installations and memorials.

Despite the Supreme Court declaring the arrest illegal and releasing Imran, authorities launched a massive crackdown against the party.

Consequently, several PTI leaders hastily announced their departure from Imran&rsquo;s party in impromptu news conferences, leading to the party&#39;s gradual disintegration.]]>
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			<title>Rs500m corruption unearthed in Sindh PA’s printing, publishing budget</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2442319/rs500m-corruption-unearthed-in-sindh-pas-printing-publishing-budget</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2442319/rs500m-corruption-unearthed-in-sindh-pas-printing-publishing-budget#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 21 Oct 23 21:05:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[M. Salim Jhandir]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2442319</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Referral of matter to anti-corruption body recommended]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[An alleged corruption scandal amounting to a whopping Rs500 million has surfaced in the Sindh Assembly&rsquo;s printing and publication budget, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Sindh Assembly&rsquo;s Senior Special Secretary Muhammad Khan Rind has written a letter to Agha Siraj Durrani, the former speaker of the house, recommending that the sordid affair be referred to the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) for further official investigation.

In his letter, Rind detailed a concerning lack of transparency and accountability within the assembly affairs. Over the past 38 years, the assembly convened for a mere 1,785 days. Surprisingly, only 400 days of printed records of speeches and debates during these sessions are available, while 1,384 days remain unrecorded, which gives rise to suspicion that numerous records have been lost or mismanaged.

The communication states that the Sindh Assembly secretary is legally obligated to prepare a report for every session. This responsibility has been seriously neglected, with MHM Hasan Shah serving as additional secretary for legislation for an extended period but failing to maintain proper records.

Rind goes on to allege that Shah&rsquo;s promotion to senior special secretary was carried out in violation of the law. The letter accuses Additional Secretary DFO Habib Samiju and the principal accounting officer of embezzling a staggering Rs500 from the printing and publication budget of the assembly.

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22nd, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Panel concerned over Rs320m corruption</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2439743/panel-concerned-over-rs320m-corruption</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2439743/panel-concerned-over-rs320m-corruption#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 Oct 23 22:38:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Amna Ali]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2439743</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Notes employees of state units continued to work despite getting golden handshake]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Senate Standing Committee on Industries has noted that some employees of state-owned enterprises had been working for eight to 10 years despite getting golden handshake and being allegedly involved in embezzlement of Rs320 million.

However, officials of the Ministry of Industries told the committee, which met on Friday, that they had no knowledge of the matter and also no recovery of money had been made yet.

Committee members voiced anger over the response and directed the ministry to come up with all details in the next meeting. 

The Senate panel meeting, presided over by its chairperson Senator Khalida Ateeb, was not attended by the caretaker federal minister of industries and the production secretary. The committee expressed its annoyance over the absence of the minister and secretary.

&ldquo;Everyone knows the prevailing situation of the industry. We are not satisfied with the performance of the ministry,&rdquo; a committee member remarked.

It was disclosed that some employees continued to work in state units even after taking golden handshake. &ldquo;How they worked after receiving the golden handshake,&rdquo; the panel asked.

Senator Humayun Mohmand pointed out that NFC employees got double salaries and perks as they, after taking golden handshake in 2007, stuck to their jobs till 2016-17. Investigations have been pending for the last 11 years.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2023.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.]]>
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			<title>Employees ring corruption, nepotism alarm bells</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2438920/employees-ring-corruption-nepotism-alarm-bells</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2438920/employees-ring-corruption-nepotism-alarm-bells#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Oct 23 19:42:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Safdar Rizvi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2438920</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sweepers, guards, gardeners manage to pass computer based typing test for the post of a Junior Clerk]]>
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				<![CDATA[A few seemingly lucky sweepers, guards, office assistants, and gardeners associated with the College Education Department of Sindh have recently been promoted in record time, which has led to an outcry about the corruption and nepotism that plagues the department.

As per information received from department sources by the Express Tribune, various sweepers, guards, office assistants, and gardeners, who are typically classified between Grade 1 and 3 employees, have struck gold as they have been promoted to the post of Junior Clerk, which is classified as a Grade 11 position.

The total number of promotions, which stands at 185, were to be done as per the department&rsquo;s posting and promotion rules. However, it has been alleged that these rules were relaxed in favour of the promotees as they were only required to give a computer based typing test to earn a promotion and that too without a verified Computer Certificate from the Sindh Board of Technical Education. Sources within the department further alleged that the 185 promotees did not have any know-how of operating computers let alone proving their typing skills and yet they were still promoted instead of deserving candidates.

One of the 600 employees of the department who sat for the computer based typing test, while speaking to the Express Tribune, under the condition of anonymity, confirmed the allegations. &ldquo;The typing test was only 30 seconds long. How am I supposed to prove my computer abilities in less than a minute?&rdquo; questioned the disgruntled employee, further adding that those who were promoted did not even try to attempt the test.

Read Over 300 corruption inquiries in various departments pending

&ldquo;Most of us who knew how to operate a computer and could type, flunked the exam. Whereas, those who had never even been in front of a computer passed. Make that make sense,&rdquo; the employee remarked.

Another equally disgruntled employee, who also sat for the test, concurring with the allegations of his peer, informed the Express Tribune under the condition of anonymity, that the 180 or so people who were promoted had paid bribes to higher ups in the department. &ldquo;We were told that if we can cough up Rs 300,000 we would directly be promoted to Grade 11. I guess those who paid the amount ended up being promoted,&rdquo; the employee regretted. Apart from the allegations vis-a-vis the computer based typing test, it is pertinent to mention that the departmental promotions were completed in a record time of 22 days - a feat unheard of in any departmental promotion process across the country.

The Express Tribune inquired about the corruption and nepotism allegations from the Regional Director Colleges, Professor Sulaiman Sial, who issued the notification of the 185 promotees on the 27th of September. &ldquo;People who fail to get promotions always end up doing such propaganda,&rdquo; replied Professor Sial, further adding that no complaint had been received by any of the departmental employees who sat for the test.

&ldquo;The allegations about departmental officials taking bribes are baseless and if anyone has proof they should come forward. We will conduct an inquiry if someone has proof that bribes were taken or that they were failed on purpose,&rdquo; the Regional Director Colleges further clarified while talking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Interim CM sacks seven ‘corrupt officers’ of BoR</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2437826/interim-cm-sacks-seven-corrupt-officers-of-bor</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2437826/interim-cm-sacks-seven-corrupt-officers-of-bor#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 25 Sep 23 20:28:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Hafeez Tunio]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2437826</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Baqar orders audit of public universities’ accounts]]>
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				<![CDATA[Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, taking strict notice of massive corruption in the Board of Revenue for many years, has removed six sub-registrars and a superintendent and ordered to appoint well-reputed officers in their places on Monday.

The CM also asked the officials to conduct the audit of all public universities in Sindh with action against those involved in embezzlement of funds.

Talking to Caretaker Minister for Revenue Younis Dhaga on the telephone, the CM directed him to remove five sub-registrars - Badar Metlo, Shakil Vighio, Nadeem Baloch, Iqbal Hussain, Ismail Rahpoto, and Asif Sarki.

He also directed the removal of office superintendent Zia Shah for his alleged involvement in corruption in the transfers and postings of Mukhtiarkars and other revenue officers.

Read Over 300 corruption inquiries in various departments pending

These officers were recently posted and now their immediate transfer has been ordered. He also directed the Board of Revenue to initiate inquiries against them and submit a report.

Financial affairs of public universities 

In a separate meeting, the chief minister also directed the Universities and Boards Departments (UBD) and Higher Education Commission (HEC) Sindh to conduct an audit of all the public sector universities and direct them to establish their pension funds for timely payment of dues to their retired employees.

&ldquo;I am surprised that nine public sector universities have not held their senate meetings in the last eight to nine years, he expressed his dismay, adding that, they should hold their senate meetings at the earliest.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, HEC Chairman Prof Tariq Raffi, PSCM Hassan Naqvi, Finance Secretary Kazim Jatoi, UBD Secretary Noor Mohammad Samo, and others.

Read more Academic failure : Public education system struggles for survival

The CM was informed that most of the public sector universities were running huge losses due to financial mismanagement. At this, the CM directed the Secretary UBD to conduct an audit of all the universities through well-reputed and recognised auditors.

He also likened the world universities to that of Pakistan&rsquo;s universities, saying the international institutes have introduced revolutions in science and technology, medicine, but &ldquo;our universities have not shown such commendable work&rdquo;.

He was of the view that most indigenous PhD degree holders had no such excellence, so we need to check where the flaws exist.

The CM asked UBD and HEC to direct all the universities to establish their pension fund. 

He deplored the situation that retired employees of various state universities, including Karachi University were running from pillar to post to get their pensions. This system needs to be reformed and upgraded, he held.

&nbsp;

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>‘System’ blamed for corruption</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2437633/system-blamed-for-corruption</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2437633/system-blamed-for-corruption#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 24 Sep 23 18:58:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2437633</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[CAP Chairman Engineer Ashfaq Hussain Shah said, &quot;we must stand united against corrupt elements&quot;]]>
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				<![CDATA[Speakers at a seminar of the Constructors Association of Pakistan (CAP) and the Karachi Constructors Association (KCA) discussed challenges facing the construction industry and the country&#39;s economic situation.

CAP Chairman Engineer Ashfaq Hussain Shah said, &quot;we must stand united against corrupt elements.&quot;

He said the association cannot speak for people indulging in corrupt practices. Contractors, he said, should bring about positive change in their character.

Naeem Kazmi, Vice Chairman of CAP, drew attention to corruption in the province under the guise of &#39;system&#39;. The inadequate allocation of funds for infrastructure projects across the province and in Karachi means that ongoing construction and maintenance works cannot be completed on schedule.

Engineer Abdul Jabbar Sheikh stated that the tendering process is not transparent; the &#39;system&#39; has ruined it.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>HMC mum on list of officers facing corruption charges</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2436145/hmc-mum-on-list-of-officers-facing-corruption-charges</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2436145/hmc-mum-on-list-of-officers-facing-corruption-charges#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Sep 23 21:16:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2436145</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sindh interim govt had given two days to respond but seven days have passed with no progress]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) authorities have failed to provide the lists of officers facing corruption charges to the interim Sindh government.

The caretaker government had instructed municipal authorities in Hyderabad to compile lists of officers who were facing legal proceedings, including cases with NAB, Anti-Corruption, and FIA, or officers who engaged in corrupt practices in any form. These lists were supposed to be sent within two days, but municipal authorities have not yet completed the lists even after spending seven days.

When the municipal commissioner sought response from department heads, some officers did not reply. In response to their lack of cooperation, the municipal commissioner issued a warning letter to the concerned department heads and informed the Sindh government about the officers who were not responding to the request.

The letter, which was initially sent on September 8, 2023, outlined that officers facing legal proceedings or inquiries had to be listed on a specific form within two days. 

However, even after seven days, the work to prepare such lists has not yet begun.

The Secretary Hyderabad Development Authority instructed various department heads to compile lists of officers working under their respective departments. These lists included the names of chief engineer HDA, director planning and development control, MD WASA, project director land department, director finance and commercial tax WASA, load department, deputy director audit and accounts, and all executive engineers.

The municipal commissioner issued a strict letter on September 15, with the permission of Mayor Kashif Ali Shoro. This letter expressed disappointment that despite seven days have passed, the heads of various departments in HMC have not responded to the request. Consequently, they have been instructed to provide the requested details of the officers immediately.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Chinese defence minister under investigation for corrupt procurement</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2436009/Chinese-Defence-Minister-</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2436009/Chinese-Defence-Minister-#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Sep 23 15:11:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2436009</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Li Shangfu, missing from public view, was last seen in Beijing on August 29]]>
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				<![CDATA[Defence Minister Li Shangfu, who has been missing from public view for more than two weeks, has been placed under investigation by Chinese authorities, according to 10 people familiar with the matter.

The investigation into Li relates to procurement of military equipment, according to a regional security official and three people in direct contact with the Chinese military. Reuters was unable to obtain details on which equipment purchases were under scrutiny.

Eight senior officials from the Chinese military&#39;s procurement unit, which Li led from 2017 to 2022, are also under investigation, according to two of the people in direct contact with the military.

The probe into Li, who was appointed as defence minister in March, and the eight officials is being carried out by the military&#39;s powerful disciplinary inspection commission, those two people said.

Reuters&#39; detailed examination of the allegations against Li and the timing of the probe is based on interviews with sources who interact regularly with senior Chinese political and defence leaders, and regional officials with close knowledge of Chinese politics.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told reporters Friday that she was not aware of the situation. The State Council and the Defence Ministry did not immediately return requests for comment. Li could not immediately be reached. 

Read More:&nbsp;China corruption could lead to Soviet-style collapse, graft buster says

The Financial Times reported on Friday, citing U.S. officials, that the U.S. government believes Li has been placed under investigation. The Wall Street Journal cited a person close to decision making in Beijing as saying he had been taken away last week for questioning.

The U.S. State Department didn&#39;t immediately respond to a request for comment on the media reports that U.S. intelligence officials believed Li was under investigation for corruption. 

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on Friday posed the question on X, formerly Twitter, whether Li was under house arrest. The U.S. embassy in Tokyo did not immediately have further comment.

Li was last seen in Beijing on Aug. 29 giving a key-note speech at a security forum with African nations. Earlier that month, he also visited Russia and Belarus.

The probe into the minister started shortly after his return from that trip, according to a person in direct contact with the military and two foreign security officials briefed on the case.

By Sept. 3, his ministry had cancelled a visit by Li to Vietnam for an annual defence meeting between the two countries scheduled for Sept. 7-8, according to a Vietnamese official. Beijing told officials in Hanoi that Li had a &quot;health condition&quot; when it postponed the event, two Vietnamese officials said.

Li&#39;s failure to attend that meeting, and talks with a senior Singaporean military official in China the same week, raised questions among regional diplomats and social media users about his whereabouts.

The probe into Li follows China&#39;s unexplained replacement of Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July after a prolonged absence from public view and a shake-up of the leadership of the People&#39;s Liberation Army&#39;s elite Rocket Force, which is responsible for conventional and nuclear missiles. Chinese officials initially said Qin&#39;s absence was also due to health reasons.

The moves have raised questions from some observers and diplomats about the abrupt changes in China&#39;s leadership at a time when its economy is struggling to recover from strict pandemic closures and its relations with the United States have further soured over a range of issues.

Both Li and Qin were seen by observers ok Chinese politics as handpicked by President Xi Jinping, making their absence after less than a year on the job particularly notable. The two men had prominent public-facing roles and also serve among China&#39;s five state councillors, a post outranking a regular minister.

In July, the military&#39;s procurement unit took the highly unusual step of issuing a notice that it was looking to &quot;clean-up&quot; its bidding process. It invited the public to report irregularities dating back to Oct. 2017, when Li was at its helm. He ran the unit until October 2022.

When asked last month by reporters to comment about the whereabouts of two other former senior military leaders who had not been recently seen in public and if they were under investigation, a Defence Ministry spokesman said the military has &quot;zero-tolerance for corruption&quot;, without denying the possibility that they were the subject of a probe.

&quot;We must always blow the horn, investigate every case, punish every instance of corruption and resolutely win the hard and protracted battle against corruption,&quot; the spokesman said.

Read More:&nbsp;Communist Party expels 3 senior Chinese officials for corruption

In 2016, Li was named deputy commander of the military&#39;s then-new Strategic Support Force - an elite body tasked with accelerating the development of space and cyber warfare capabilities. He was then tasked the following year with heading the military&#39;s procurement unit.

Li was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018 over weapons purchases from Russia&#39;s largest arms exporter.

Beijing has repeatedly said it wants those sanctions dropped to facilitate better discussions between the Chinese and U.S. militaries. U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin sought talks with Li during a defence conference in Singapore in June, but did not get beyond pleasantries, according to a Pentagon spokesman.]]>
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			<title>Corruption plagues exam results</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2435879/corruption-plagues-exam-results</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2435879/corruption-plagues-exam-results#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Sep 23 19:11:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Tariq Saeed Awan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2435879</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[BISE staff allegedly taking bribes from students to tamper with grades]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Sargodha employees allegedly pocketed thousands of rupees under the pretense of raising scores in matric and inter exams.

A formal inquiry was conducted by Sargodha Development Director Commissioner Office Muhammad Bilal against Malik Muhammad Sulaiman, Muhammad Ishaq and Mansoor Arshad Dogar for changing the grades of roll numbers 406258, 423685 and 439492.

During the investigation, students officially acknowledged that they paid as much as Rs500,000 to have their grades changed.

The inquiry report recommended the registration of a formal FIR so that police could conduct a thorough investigation and apprehend the suspects, but Controller of Examinations Riaz Qadir Bhatti has yet to file the FIR.

The investigation led to the formal suspension of system analyst Malik Muhammad Sulaiman and computer programmer Muhammad Ishaq.

However, a non-standard inquiry was conducted by senior computer programmer Jamshed Jafar Ali and assistant conduct controller Khalid Mehmood, who were both working in the same location and allegedly suppressed the matter by taking arbitrary consequences.

Furthermore, officials were made available for service. The primary investigation, carried out by Mohammad, was quashed without a ruling.

BISE Sargodha declared the results of Class IX on August 22. The Class IX result gazette was published where the results of thousands of students were tampered with. After several days, the result were thrown out.

Public and Social Circles Association of Teachers of Pakistan Central Vice President Younis Kaliar has demanded of the Punjab chief minister, the chief secretary of, Higher Education Department of Punjab secretary and Schools Education Department Secretary order the registration of an FIR against the officials accountable for this heinous act. Action should be taken against them under the PEDA Act 2006, and those guilty should be held accountable.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Over 300 corruption inquiries in various departments pending</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2435345/over-300-corruption-inquiries-in-various-departments-pending</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2435345/over-300-corruption-inquiries-in-various-departments-pending#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 11 Sep 23 22:23:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Muhammad Nawfal Saleemi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2435345</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Investigation of misappropriation of billions of rupees, illegal promotions, and fake recruitments is pending]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[More than 300 inquiries are going on for the last eight months at a slow pace. Investigation of mega corruption, misappropriation of billions of rupees, illegal promotions, and fake recruitments is pending. Inquiries into the illegal sale of government medicines, illegal constructions, and encroachment are also incomplete. Investigations into records tampering and amusement park construction scams have not been completed yet. Investigation of Rs3.5 billion corruption in Noshehro Feroze M6 Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway has not been met.

According to documents available to The Express Tribune, the inquiry of Rs6.7 billion corruption in 23 district councils could not be completed.

An investigation into corruption of billions of rupees for illegal recruitment is also going on in the Matiari Town Committee.

An investigation report of the corruption of billions of rupees in Directorate of Primary Schools Shaheed Benazirbad is also awaited. Cases of corruption worth billions of rupees against the former secretary of the Social Welfare Department are also pending.

The inquiry into the corruption of billions in the food department is also delayed. The corruption investigation in the health, irrigation, agriculture, and food departments was also delayed. Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Sindh Building Control Authority, Karachi Works and Services Department, encroachment inquiry has not been completed yet.

The inquiry report on illegal recruitment and promotions at the KMC Hospital is still awaited. The investigation of mega corruption against the officers of the Mirpurkhas Division&#39;s agriculture department has not been completed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Economy’s four ticking bombs</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2434653/economys-four-ticking-bombs</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2434653/economys-four-ticking-bombs#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 07 Sep 23 20:20:20 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shahzad chaudhry]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2434653</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[We steal and freeload around 500 billion worth of power every year]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan&rsquo;s economy literally rests on four simmering volcanoes. We have been criminally oblivious of those even as we assumed that the visible economy was trundling along satisfactorily, even if barely. Of those, the energy bomb has just begun to fizz. What we see on our roads and in our homes and markets are the first sign of the discontent and the unrest resulting from disabling inflation and people&rsquo;s inability to pay what is charged to them. We know how we got here &mdash; capacity charges, deceptively corrupt contractual obligations et al &mdash; except that the chicken is now home to roost. Exaggerated bills borne out of ill-conception, stealing, ineptness and freeloading have begun to bite. 

The circular debt in the power sector alone is in the region of 2600 billion annually of which around 2000 billion is capacity charges in free handouts if you will. We steal and freeload around 500 billion worth of power every year. Incompetence, inefficiency and corruption in the system writ large as we wrestle with what to do with the increasing frustration among those who must pay for these inadequacies &mdash; human, systemic and technical. The bomb is yet to fully explode, and we are already out of ideas. Around 1500 billion of the Gas Sector remains to be added to this bill and that already makes for some 40 per cent of the annual budget. Even more interestingly we have never shown this liability in the annual statement letting sleeping dogs lie kicking the can down the road as the most convenient escape from responsibility. 

Read July interest payments surpass govt income

Discounting any and all plans bordering on superficial &mdash; spreading the payment, seeking relaxation from the IMF to subsidise life-line users, which the IMF has not unexpectedly balked at &mdash; there are three options that can perhaps still save the day:

First &mdash; declare a country-wide energy emergency which we are in already and considering how tenuous the stability of the republic has become invoke a force majeure in the agreements signed with the IPPs. If that threatens our future credibility and sovereign trust, we must choose from keeping a false face and risk losing the republic or save the republic to rebuild the trust when we have things under better control. It will give us the opportunity to renegotiate what has been insidiously and foolishly contracted in favour of Independent Power Plants mostly owned by political players, big business, or their frontmen. Chinese power plants under CPEC have piggybacked on what was already an existing convention; though they should be the ones to lead renegotiations to save Pakistan from unbridled plunder of state and public resource. 

Second &mdash; if under this revised protocol of an emergency, power producers refuse to go along with revision of the terms and in working a way out for the state and ease the pain to its people, our only recourse should be to take over all power plants. Yes, nationalise those and bring those under state control. Don&rsquo;t cringe. We will not be the first ones to do so even if times have changed &mdash; Mexico did that when it found itself embroiled in a manipulated and a crafted environment of costly and inefficient power supply crisis. We may then rationalise the sector making it feasible minus its debilitating and generous clauses returning those to private hands in due course. The IPPs can make their choice from among the three options to save people undeserved privation. 

Third &mdash; and this is the second ticking bomb and a primal threat to economy which if resolved can also offer a solution to the energy conundrum: Pakistan may choose to dispense of its baggage of Public Sector Enterprises. Together, these bleed around 1100 billion from the exchequer every year in operational and debt costs. Most are used to park party personnel by political parties which are loathe to let go of this bleeding sore. These enterprises &mdash; well over 200 of them; loss making and eating up precious resource &mdash; carry assets that value over thousands of billions. These include the Railway, the Steel Mill and WAPDA. An unexplained legacy romance and crass opportunism defies the logic of not dispensing these haemorrhaging behemoths in the name of strategic assets. Pray, what is more strategic than the health of the republic and its people. And, when the choice is between saving the republic or these legacy dinosauric structures the choice should be straight forward. 

From the proceeds of these sales a wealth fund can be created to sustain a rationalised power structure which will serve its users than bedevil them perpetually. A combination of these factors can work to alleviate the yoke of disability imposed on the people in a sector most poorly managed and perceived. When push comes to shove this alone will make the obstinate and the recalcitrant comply. It is time for the state to assert itself. We will rebuild our credibility later. Unplugged diplomacy should help explain the need for such drastic steps to our external partners. IPP owners either understand the dilemma and rework the contracts or stare into the possibility of a declared Energy Emergency leading to invocation of force majeure and nationalisation of the power and energy infrastructure in the short to medium term. The choice is theirs to make.

The other two time-bombs that tick with equal ferocity are the Population and the Pensions bombs. Population continues to grow much faster than any other developing economy excepting a few in Africa. An over2.5 per cent growth rate is incomprehensible in this day and age when the GDP growth also hovers at 2-3 per cent. At these rates of population growth, net GDP is negative. This slide must be stemmed. Other than direct intervention which needs to be intensified &mdash; just as Bangladesh has done &mdash; systemic accompaniments like female empowerment through literacy and preferential employment are key to arresting this downslide in any effort on economy and remove the roadblock to sustained growth. 

Pensions are inching up to 800 billion annually. Soon these will cost as much as the PSEs to keep those afloat. This will only get worse and soon gnaw at the fundamentals of any economic option. A Pensions Fund created from within the Budgetary allocations is desperately needed to make it self-sustaining &mdash; an investable pool which can build over time and pay for those retired as is the case in most modern economies. Policy intervention in terms of gratuity payments as well as reviewing the terms of service and reducing the size of the government employees in pensionable positions is what must find priority in our consideration. 

Unless we deal with these ticking bombs in urgency, we will soon be enveloped by a self-debilitating structure of the economy which stands seriously distorted, deformed, corroded and leaky. Each other step else is only a band-aid in the presence of persisting disabilities.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2023.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>NAB takes Elahi’s principal secretary into custody from jail</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2433967/nab-takes-elahis-principal-secretary-into-custody-from-jail</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2433967/nab-takes-elahis-principal-secretary-into-custody-from-jail#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 03 Sep 23 15:30:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2433967</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says Muhammad Khan Bhatti is involved in Rs1b corruption scam]]>
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				<![CDATA[The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has arrested Muhammad Khan Bhatti, the principal secretary to former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi, from jail in a corruption scam worth Rs1 billion.

The development comes two days after Elahi was arrested against the court&rsquo;s order by the Islamabad police under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) when he was on his way to Zahoor Elahi Road escorted by heavy contingent of Lahore police.

A team with the court&#39;s permission had visited Central Jail, Gujranwala to interrogate Bhatti and served him arrest warrants issued by NAB director general.

Allegedly Bhatti used his influence and position in connivance with Elahi and other accused persons to appoint their confidant Mahr Azmat Hayat as XEN of Punjab Highways Department Gujrat Division and then promoted him to the post of Superintending Engineer Gujrat Circle.

Read also: Elahi&rsquo;s former aide Bhatti arrested again by Punjab ACE

Elahi allegedly in connivance with Bhatti and other accused persons, disregarding rules, &ldquo;approved 116x Road development schemes under supplementary grants with the ulterior motives of receiving bribe/kickbacks&rdquo;.

Accused Elahi, Moonis Elahi and Bhatti got awarded contracts of road development works to their nominated contractors through Hayat.

The accused persons allegedly issued payments to the contractors without work done at site for the purpose of collecting bribe/kickbacks from the contractors.

The amounts of bribe/kickbacks were collected by Elahi, Moonis and Bhatti through Hayat and Sohail Asghar Awan (personal secretary of Moonis). NAB has taken him into custody from jail.

He will be presented before an accountability court in Lahore for physical remand.]]>
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			<title>‘Influential culprits’ put on stop list</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2433919/influential-culprits-put-on-stop-list</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2433919/influential-culprits-put-on-stop-list#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 03 Sep 23 05:07:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2433919</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Those who are accused of abuse of authority, defrauding national kitty barred from travelling abroad]]>
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				<![CDATA[The names of more than 100 people who are allegedly involved in land grabbing, exerting political influence, abuse of authority and defrauding the national exchequer have been put on the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration&rsquo;s stop list.

Sources maintained that authorities were closely monitoring the entire situation through Integrated Border Management System and some of the accused had been offloaded from flights in the last few months.

Those whose names have been included in the list include leaders of political parties and their close aides, party workers and police officials.

They have been accused of illegally taking lands and properties in Sindh into their possession, causing loss to the national kitty and abuse of authority among other allegations.

The sources noted that various investigation agencies, including the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), were probing these suspects.

They observed that two types of stop lists existed at Karachi and other airports in the country. One stop list operated manually in which changes regarding details pertaining to the accused were made by the relevant investigation agency.

In the other stop list &ndash; a computerised one &ndash; the system was alerted on the receipt of the CNIC and other related information about the accused before departure, after which the suspect was either offloaded or taken into custody.

Last week, it was reported that around 60 individuals, who were either part of the PPP&rsquo;s Sindh government or its beneficiary, had been put on the no-fly list during the tenure of the caretaker set-up. However, there was no official confirmation of this development.

Even a minister, who possessed a key portfolio in the provincial government, received a notice from NAB.

It was believed that despite remaining a close ally of the PML-N led government, the PPP was taking a different approach on the timing of the holding of the general elections as well as the status of Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

A debate was under way as to why the distance between the PPP and security establishment was widening soon after the dissolution of assemblies.

Reports were rife that officers on key posts in Sindh were being transferred during the caretaker government&rsquo;s tenure and the PPP was unhappy with the move.

However, on Friday, PPP Information Secretary Faisal Kareem Kundi refuted reports of strained relations with the establishment and rebuffed reports that party leaders were being put on any stop list.

He stated that several former provincial ministers had recently flown abroad, noting that it would not have been possible if their names were on the stop list.]]>
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			<title>PM, son acquitted in money laundering case</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2427088/pm-son-acquitted-in-money-laundering-case</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2427088/pm-son-acquitted-in-money-laundering-case#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jul 23 09:48:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2427088</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Court, however, issues perpetual arrest warrants for Shehbaz's absconding daughter]]>
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				<![CDATA[An accountability court has acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shehbaz and other co-accused in a money laundering reference that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed in August 2020 during the rule of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Lahore Accountability Court Judge Raja Qamaruz Zaman on Thursday unveiled the verdict which had been reserved earlier. The judge, however, issued perpetual arrest warrants for the PM&#39;s daughter, Rabia Imran, due to her failure to appear before the court despite numerous notices.

Shehbaz Sharif, his wife Nusrat Shehbaz and children--Hamza, Suleman and Rabia--were among the 16 individuals accused in the corruption reference.

The reference alleged that Shehbaz was the prime beneficiary of assets held in the name of his family members and &quot;benamidars&quot; who had no sources to acquire such assets.

According to NAB, the family members and benamidars of Shehbaz&#39;s family received foreign remittances worth billions of rupees in their personal bank accounts.

In addition to these remittances, the bureau said, billions of rupees were laundered by way of foreign pay orders which were deposited in personal bank accounts of Hamza and Suleman.

However, on May 10, NAB filed a supplementary reference in the court, stating that it had conducted a fresh investigation and found that the charges against the prime minister, his son and others were not true.

Read Court seeks reply on Suleman&rsquo;s acquittal plea

On July 6, Shehbaz and Hamza also moved motions in the accountability court for their acquittal. In their applications filed through Amjad Pervaiz, they contended that NAB filed a false and fabricated case and that the accountability watchdog had no evidence to prove the case.

They stated that they had declared all their assets&mdash;which were acquired through legal means&mdash;to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). They requested the accountability court to acquit them from the case.

In a Twitter post, Shehbaz later noted that he and his family members were implicated in a false and baseless case, which was part of a politically motivated vendetta.

&ldquo;This was the same case in which I was wrongfully arrested twice; Hamza Shahbaz was kept in prison and not even taken to a doctor despite being seriously ill during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was not even allowed to meet his innocent daughter.&rdquo;

He said: &quot;Those who burned in the fire of political revenge got an answer in the world. But they will have to give an account of this cruelty in the last and biggest court also.&rdquo;

On July 10, a special court in Lahore acquitted  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s son Suleman Shehbaz and others in a Rs16 billion money laundering case.

Special Central Court Judge Bakht Fakhar Bahzad also directed secretary establishment to take legal action against Shahzad Akbar, adviser to former premier Imran Khan as well as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) former director general and some other FIA officials for lodging a frivolous and baseless case.

Action against aforementioned officials is necessary so that in future the other officers learn a lesson and refrain from obeying illegal orders of their superiors, an 18-page order issued by the judge further stated.]]>
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			<title>PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan arrested once again</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2420900/ptis-ali-muhammad-khan-arrested-once-again</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2420900/ptis-ali-muhammad-khan-arrested-once-again#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jun 23 11:08:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2420900</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Lawyer says arrest made on corruption charges]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Muhammad Khan was arrested once again on Friday right after being released on the orders of the&nbsp;Peshawar High Court (PHC) from a day earlier.

The PTI leader&#39;s lawyer told reporters that the current arrest was made on corruption charges; he was subsequently transferred to the Toru police station.

Yesterday, the PHC had ordered&nbsp;Khan&#39;s release after hearing a petition against his arrest under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) after nationwide protests broke out on May 9 following the PTI chief&#39;s arrest.

Today&#39;s relief came in a case related to terrorism charges. However, the court had observed that&nbsp;Khan may be arrested again if he was wanted in any other cases.

The former minister of state was arrested again as soon as he left the court premises.

Khan has so far been arrested five times in different cases.

Earlier, as Khan appeared before the court he told reporters that his party&#39;s chief &quot;has always subscribed to a peaceful political struggle and stood by the rule of law&quot;.

Expressing his commitment to face all charges, Khan expressed hope that in the end &quot;the law will win&quot;.

Read Can PTI survive the stress test?

&quot;Whoever participated in the May 9 incidents should be brought to justice,&quot; he said, &quot;but issuing a charge sheet against the entire PTI is unfair.&quot;

&quot;The PTI is a central party with a vote bank in all four provinces,&quot; he added, stressing that his party &quot;does not stand by the May 9 miscreants&quot;.

&quot;The country suffered on May 9,&quot; he admitted, but regretted that the incidents &quot;are being used to sideline the PTI&quot; which he held was &quot;inappropriate&quot;.

Khan also remained determined that the PTI will once again succeed in forming a government, stressing that &quot;this party is the outcome of a two-year long struggle&quot;.

A number of PTI legislators had parted ways with the party after the government held the PTI chief responsible for the riots that broke out across the country following his arrest in a graft case on May 9.

Protesters had attacked the government infrastructure as well as the military installations and also vandalised the GHQ and Lahore corps commander&rsquo;s residence.

Notably, nearly a 100 former PTI members of the national and provincial assemblies have joined&nbsp;the new party, the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, joining forces with senior politician Jahangir Khan Tareen.]]>
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			<title>Bench takes exception to SC Panama verdict</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2420885/bench-takes-exception-to-sc-panama-verdict</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2420885/bench-takes-exception-to-sc-panama-verdict#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jun 23 06:53:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Jahanzeb Abbasi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2420885</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Says one 436 Pakistanis were named in the leaks but only one family was singled out]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[A division bench of the apex court on Friday took exception to the July 2017 verdict of a five-judge Supreme Court bench in the Panama Papers case, observing that the bench did what was not even related to the April 2016 leaks.
&ldquo;The Supreme Court did something extra. It even disqualified [former prime minister Nawaz Sharif],&rdquo; said Justice Sardar Tariq Masood.

In April 2016, the Panama Papers, a treasure trove of leaked document, disclosed how thousands of people across the world had stashed their wealth in tax havens through offshore companies. The papers included names of 436 Pakistanis including the family members of Nawaz Sharif.

A number of petitioners including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq filed petitions in the apex court. Later, a five-judge SC bench on July 28, 2017 disqualified the former premier for not disclosing the salary that he received from a company owned by one of his sons in his nomination papers submitted before July 2013 general elections.

&ldquo;One family from among 436 people [named in the leaks] was singled out,&rdquo; Justice Masood said, adding that &ldquo;it is not a crime to create an offshore country.&rdquo;

Read&nbsp;Pre-May 9 situation: Can the CJP rewind the clock?

Justice Masood was leading the division bench also comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan that on Friday resumed hearing of JI chief Sirajul Haq&rsquo;s petition for launching investigation against 436 Pakistanis named in the leaks.

During the hearing, the bench asked why the petitioner did not approach institutions including the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in the last seven years.

&ldquo;How can the Supreme Court conduct an investigation in the presence of regulators and investigation agencies like the FBR, the SBP, the FIA and NAB? If the Supreme Court forms a judicial commission in the presence of these investigation agencies then how will these departments work?&nbsp; And how can the court make a decision without hearing the 436 people named in the leaks?&rdquo; Justice Masood asked.

The bench observed that the law could not be by-passed in the presence of the FBR, the FIA, NAB and the SBP. &ldquo;Should the state institutions be closed and all the work be done by the Supreme Court?&rdquo; the judge asked.

Read more&nbsp;Divided we stand: Supreme Court judges still poles apart

The bench also asked the JI lawyer as to what was the petitioner&rsquo;s interest in the investigation against those persons. The lawyer replied that it was a matter of public money.

&ldquo;Why did the idea of public money not come to the petitioner when the JI after 24 hearings of the [Panama Papers] case dissociated itself from the main case,&rdquo; he said.

&nbsp;The judge also pointed out that names of some businessmen were also mentioned in the Panama Papers. He asked the lawyer whether he wanted to drive these businesses out of the country.

Justice Aminuddin Khan said that he wanted to talk about many things but he could not say everything. He said first money was transferred abroad legally and then a smear campaign was launched.

Justice Masood said the court will have to see how this case would be heard under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution. &ldquo;There are different opinions about Article 184(3),&rdquo; he said. Later, the court adjourned for four weeks.]]>
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			<title>Sheikh Rashid dissociates himself from Al-Qadir Trust case</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2419353/sheikh-rashid-dissociates-himself-from-al-qadir-trust-case</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2419353/sheikh-rashid-dissociates-himself-from-al-qadir-trust-case#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 30 May 23 06:38:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2419353</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Ex-minister tells NAB 'had strained relations with Shahzad Akbar'; no connection with £190 million corruption scandal]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Former interior minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ally&nbsp;Sheikh Rashid Ahmad distanced himself on Tuesday&nbsp;from the Al-Qadir Trust probe being pursued by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against former prime minister Imran Khan and others.

In a written reply to NAB, which Rashid shared online as well, he claimed that he had been absent from the cabinet meeting where the matter of the trust was taken up and had &quot;no information and evidence&quot; with regards to the issue.



Today copy of my reply to Nab against there short notice to me to appear be fore Nab as a witness in Al-Qadir Trust case pic.twitter.com/SgtED5aadA
&mdash; Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) May 30, 2023


&quot;Furthermore,&quot; he stated, &quot;I was having strained relations with Shahzad Akbar and was not even on talking terms with him.

&quot;I have no evidence or document in my possession with regard to the Al-Qadir Trust case.&quot;

Read &#39;Standing with Imran&#39;, says Sheikh Rashid as PTI exodus continues

Notably, Rashid is among the three senior members of former premier Imran Khan&#39;s cabinet who have been summoned by NAB today for their alleged involvement in the illegal settlement of 190 million pounds recovered from the United Kingdom.

The other two leaders to have been issued call-up notices in connection to the case are Fawad Chaudhry and Pervaiz Khattak.

Al-Qadir Trust case

Al-Qadir Trust is a non-governmental welfare organization set up by Imran Khan and his present wife, Bushra Watto, in 2018 when he was still in office.

While prime minister, he promoted the trust at official events.

The couple is the sole trustee, according to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.

The PTI chief was arrested on May 9 over charges of corruption in connection with the trust.

Later, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah revealed that about &pound;190 million (approximately Rs60 billion) of a &quot;property tycoon&quot; transferred through money laundering were caught in the UK.

The UK government contacted the Pakistani authorities regarding the amount&#39;s return.

He said as per law, the amount belonged to the Pakistani nation and should have been deposited in the national exchequer. &ldquo;Instead [the then adviser to the prime minister] Shahzad Akbar acting as a front-man, got formed the Al-Qadir Trust under a deal executed by him,&rdquo; he claimed.

Read more Ex-ISI chief biggest beneficiary of &pound;190m corruption: Vawda

According to the charges, the deposed premier and others allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion -- &pound;190 million at the time -- sent by Britain&rsquo;s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the government.

They also face charges of receiving undue benefits in the form of over 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala in Sohawa to set up the Al-Qadir University.

During the PTI government, Britain&#39;s NCA seized assets worth &pound;190 million of a Pakistani property tycoon in Britain.

The agency said the assets would be passed to the Pakistani government.

It added that the settlement with the property tycoon was &ldquo;a civil matter, and does not represent a finding of guilt&rdquo;.

Later, then prime minister Imran acquired approval of the settlement with the Britain&rsquo;s crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement.

It was decided that the money would be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.]]>
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			<title>Corruption probe falls prey to committees</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2418447/corruption-probe-falls-prey-to-committees</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2418447/corruption-probe-falls-prey-to-committees#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 24 May 23 20:20:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Jamil Mirza]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2418447</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Third panel fails to submit report against woman officer in Rs66m scandal]]>
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				<![CDATA[A third committee formed to probe allegations of corruption of Rs66.2 million in the District Health Authority Rawalpindi has failed to deliver its report on the role of a woman officer said to be the central character in the entire episode.

The committee was constituted on May 8, the same day on which the second inquiry committee was scheduled to submit its final report in the case involving Dr Hooria Mohsin. However, the committee was terminated on that day, with the health secretary forming a third committee, and giving it 14 days to submit its report. The additional secretary for reforms chaired the committee which is yet to submit the report despite the passage of the deadline.

An earlier three-member committee headed by Health Services Director Dr Asadur Rahman had found that Dr Mohsin and seven others caused losses of Rs66.2 million to the national exchequer during procurement for the health authority. It also recommended recovering the amount from the officials.

He also recommended a separate inquiry against them under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act. Instead of taking action on it, another inquiry committee was formed under the chairmanship of Health Services Director Dr Rana Muhammad Riaz.

Moreover, a performance review of the officer in question, Dr Mohsin, included similar remarks. Dr Anser Ishaq, the health department CEO, and Dr Asadur Rehman, a former director in health services.

Dr Mohsin had challenged the remarks, which called her reportedly corrupt while also casting aspersions on her character, attitude, professionalism and behaviour.

The said remarks were expunged from her record on the orders of the secretary of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, Ali Jan Khan.

Sources privy to the matter say that a key figure in the supervisory provincial government was actively involved in the matter due to which the &lsquo;open-and-shut&rsquo; corruption case was getting stalled.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2023.]]>
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			<title>Court rejects Asim Hussain’s acquittal plea</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2410721/court-rejects-asim-hussains-acquittal-plea</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2410721/court-rejects-asim-hussains-acquittal-plea#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 08 Apr 23 17:47:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Ex-minister is accused of Rs17b corruption in awarding gas contracts]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[An accountability court in Karachi on Saturday rejected PPP leader and former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain&#39;s plea for acquittal in the reference related to the corruption of Rs17 billion.

The court held a reference hearing against Hussain and others related to the corruption.

Hussain and other accused appeared in the court. The court pronounced the decision on the acquittal plea filed by the PPP leader.

The court rejected Hussain&rsquo;s acquittal plea. According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Hussain and others are accused of corruption of Rs17 billion in connection with gas contracts.

In Feb 2018, the accountability court indicted Hussain and eight others in a reference regarding embezzlement of Rs17 billion in award of illegal contracts of five gas fields in Sindh to Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited.

The indicted suspects included Basharat Mirza, Jamil Ansari, Sui Southern Gas Company MD Zohair Siddiqui, Malik Usman, Khalid Rehman and Shoaib Warsi.

In August 2015, the former petroleum minister was detained during a raid at the Higher Education Commission office in the Clifton area over alleged embezzlement.

He was accused of concealing assets, granting illegal allotments, land grabbing, misuse of authority, fraud and giving illegal contracts during his tenure in SSGC and laundering money.]]>
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			<title>Former MPA summoned by anti-corruption dept</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2406884/former-mpa-summoned-by-anti-corruption-dept</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2406884/former-mpa-summoned-by-anti-corruption-dept#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 18 Mar 23 20:42:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2406884</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Inquiry launched into allegations of misuse of authority, favousritism]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The anti-corruption department has reportedly summoned former member of Punjab Assembly Bilal Asghar Waraich and four other persons, including his personal secretary, for an inquiry into allegations of misusing authority, awarding contracts to favourite people and using poor material in development work.

According to sources in the department, a deputy director of investigation issued a notice to Waraich in this regard. 

The sources said Waraich, a former MPA from Gojra tehsil, was suspected of interfering in the local administration from 2018 to 2022. 

His personal staff officer Mohammad Sarfraz is facing allegations of collecting monthly bribe from local officials and giving contracts of weekly bazaars in the tehsil in return for illegal gratification.

Aziz Gaggu Waraich, a close associate of Bilal Asghar, was given contracts, including those for parking at Saturday markets and slaughter house.

Then source said he was also facing allegations of receiving money from those operating stalls in streets in Gojra. 

He had also remained a contractor of the local market committee. 

They alleged hat Bilal&rsquo;s cousin Asghar Nawaz Waraich had got road construction contracts and material of poor quality was used in the carpeting of a link road.

A three-member team of the anti-corruption department is investigating the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19th, 2023.]]>
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