The SC's fact-finding committee had, in its interim report, held that recruitment of 437 personnel including 19 junior clerks in the Sindh Reserve Police, Hyderabad, was illegal. PHOTO: PPI
KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) directed the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) prosecutor-general to ensure that the reference regarding unfair distribution of investigation funds against former Sindh IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali and other senior police officers is finalised within one week.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, also sought a compliance report within a month. The bench that also included Justices Mushir Alam and Khilji Arif Hussain was hearing matters regarding alleged corruption in recruitments in Sindh Reserve Police and unfair distribution of funds meant for the police's investigation wing.
Earlier, the apex court had appointed three-member fact-finding committees to identify illegalities in recruitments and funds' disbursement. Later, in the light of the committees' recommendations, the court had referred the matter to NAB to probe into the scams and initiate legal action against those found involved.
At the outset of Tuesday's proceedings, NAB's prosecutor-general, Waqas Qadeer Dar, filed a sealed report of the investigation conducted into alleged unfair distribution of funds for investigations and its disbursement in other heads by former IG Jamali.
Justice Hani inquired from the prosecutor-general if they had filed a reference against the former IG and other senior police officials as serious allegations of unfair distribution of investigation funds were levelled against them by a three-member committee formed by the court.
Dar informed the court that the reference could not be finalised as the NAB chairperson was abroad. He assured the judges that the matter will be discussed by the relevant committee as soon as he returns.
The bench expressed displeasure over the delays in finalising the reference due to absence of the NAB chief. Justice Hani remarked that the reference had not been filed despite a lapse of two-and-half months and asked whether the national anti-corruption watchdog's chief was doing any work or was just busy with his visits abroad.
However, at the prosecutor-general's request, the bench allowed a week's time to NAB authorities for finalising the reference against those police officers found involved in corrupt practices within a week. It also sought a compliance report within a month.
Corruption in recruitment
Meanwhile, a provincial law officer informed the court that the Sindh government had forwarded the names of former IG Jamali and other senior officers to the establishment division for taking action.
He submitted a copy of the letter addressed by the Sindh services and general administration department's section officer dated June 21. The section officer, Abdullah Razaque Saand, who wrote the letter, forwarded the required statement of allegations against the eight Police Service of Pakistan officers.
Those senior police officers against whom action was recommended to be initiated included former IG Jamali, then training DIG Sahab Mazhar Bhalli, then Sindh Reserve Police ADIG Aitezaz Ahmed Goraya, then finance AIG Syed Fida Hussain Shah, then West SSP Captain (retd) Ghulam Azfar Mahesar, then District Matiari SP Amjad Ahmed Shaikh, District Kashmore SP Umar Tufail and then District Tharparkar SP Khalid Mustafa Korai.
The SC's fact-finding committee had, in its interim report, held that recruitment of 437 personnel including 19 junior clerks in the Sindh Reserve Police, Hyderabad, was illegal.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th, 2016.
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