Faking it: Unethical practices at the top encourage imposters

When corruption persists, approaching people through money will remain common.

LAHORE: When we see people in position of power being approached to get illegal work done, we also try to adopt the same way. Some even adopt a unique way to approach those in power by posing as ministers, judge, journalist or a police officer.

At times, these imposters introduce themselves as position holders or convey fake messages of some high-ups and get the work done.

This is only possible when corruption exists and approaching people through money or some high-ups is quite common.

Last week, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, in a meeting with journalists said, some people approach different departments by posing like they are conveying a message of a judge of the LHC or of the chief justice.

He added a few days ago, a National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) officer informed the LHC that someone had phoned him to say that a LHC judge is asking to issue CNIC to a man.

The chief justice said nobody from the LHC phoned him, adding people also approach judges of the lower courts, asking them that the chief justice or some judge of the LHC is telling to decide some case in favour of a particular person.

The chief justice said he was unaware how many people and departments were approached in the name of judges or officers of the LHC.

However, the chief justice said any department or any judge of the lower judiciary should verify the message from the registrar of the LHC if anyone poses like conveying them a message on behalf of the LHC. A circular has also been issued to the registrar of the LHC in this regard.

On Saturday, a man was arrested by the police for conning people in the guise of a federal minister for the past eight years.

Salamat Ali Chohan had been posing as the federal commercial and consumer affairs minister and looting people in the guise of lending them government loans.

In the past eight years, the suspect was said to have even allocated himself an official PTCL landline number, starting with 992.

He had also submitted requisitions for an office, staff and vehicles at Chamba House, the official hostel for elected lawmakers. He had also written a letter to the police and provincial government, requesting official security.

All of this cannot be stopped until corruption is curbed. If actual high-ranked officers continue approaching their lower-cadre colleagues,
imposters would continue taking advantage of it.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2017.