Pakistan

Top bureaucrats in trouble

New list of NRO beneficiaries who may face trial/removal contains officers holding senior positions in the government.

September 19, 2010

ISLAMABAD:

The list of officers who benefited from the National Reconciliation Order 2007 is nearing completion and reportedly contains numerous politicians and bureaucrats holding senior positions in the government.

Express 24/7 reports that Pakistan's ambassador to Washington, Hussain Haqqani is in the list of NRO beneficiaries that is being prepared by the Establishment Division. Another notable name on the list is that of Salman Farooqi, who is serving as the Secretary General to the Presidency.

Ambassador to Iran MB Abbasi and former DG Intelligence Bureau, retired Brigadier Imtiaz Ahmad, have also made the list. Another beneficiary of note is Ahmad Sadiq, the former personal secretary to the then prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had directed the Establishment Division to prepare the list within 48 hours following a contempt notice issued by the Supreme Court on the appointment of Adnan Khwaja, an NRO beneficiary who was appointed as chairman of OGDC.

A 17-member larger bench of the Supreme Court had unanimously struck down the NRO on December 16 2009. However, the Supreme Court has been dissatisfied with the government’s inaction to implement the NRO verdict.

COMMENTS (5)

Maitre | 14 years ago | Reply All these bureaucrats are national exchequer swindlers. They make money irrespective of the nature of the project. These days, they are dreaming on Hydroelectric projects kickbacks as they ballooned PKR 35 billion projects to PKR 100 billion knowing they have Mr Asif Ali Zardari's support. Off to hell! We are sick of them and can't afford to let them part with country's hard earned money.

Samadyar | 14 years ago | Reply what a establishment, i will just ask them that when they were going to made such like acts than at that time where was our judiciary and intelligence...? just stop this like dirty blackmailing and blaming the whole politicians and bureaucrats.

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Sarfraz Hussain Naqvi | 14 years ago | Reply Corruption can only be curbed if masses (voters) are empowered on permanent and consistent basis. Current parliamentary system of democracy has not only failed to minimize corruption but has helped boosting the same. Can we think of a democratic dispensation in which voters can have their say on permanent basis? I think we can! Are we prepared to think on these lines?

Arisha | 14 years ago | Reply Didn't Express see this report? http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C09%5C17%5Cstory17-9-2010pg13_3 LHC bench calls details of cases against Haqqani Staff Report LAHORE: A division bench of the Lahore High Court, while hearing a petition of Pakistan Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani requesting to remove his name from the list of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) beneficiaries has called details of cases against him from the Law Ministry. On Thursday, a representative of the Law Ministry informed the court that Haqqani’s name was wrongly included in the list of NRO beneficiaries. The court, however, directed the ministry to submit details of cases against the petitioner. Haqqani’s counsel submitted that the petitioner never applied for any benefit under the NRO in any alleged case against him. He submitted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had never initiated any reference against the petitioner. Three cases were filed against him by the Ehtisab Bureau of Saifur Rehman in 1999 on the charges of misuse of power. The Lahore High Court later released him on bail after detaining him for 79 days. He said the Sindh High Court quashed an FIR in one of the cases, whereas the other case had been dropped by the investigation agency after failing to find any evidence. The third on the list of cases had never reached the stage of prosecution and as such there was no question of Haqqani requesting any relief under the NRO. He said the investigation agency might have dropped the case on its own. He requested that Haqqani’s name be removed from the list of beneficiaries of the NRO.

T. Ali | 14 years ago | Reply It is just not only our politicians who are involved in corruption, for our bureaucrats, retired khakis, few yellow journalists, former judges of the Dogar and Irshad courts have assets much more than their declared incomes. The quantum of expensive real estate properties owned by serving and retired bureaucrats, both civil and khaki in Europe, Canada and UK would shock anybody. It was revealed by the former Finance Minister Mr Shaukat Tarin that the FBR bureaucracy alone pilfers over Rs550 Billion of revenues annually, which should indicate the level and quantum of corruption that prevails in our revenue department. In such a situation, unless there is strict accountabilty, no purpose will be served by further taxation. This corruption is not only confined to this regime, but existed during Musharraf era and even before him. Most of these former corrupt bureaucrats are now settled abroad, having acquired foreign nationalities. All their assets and cash have been transferred abroad. As long as this sort of corruption and funds transfer is not eliminated, how can we hope to come out of the financial crisis that we face today. The biggest threat to our national security today is posed by the cancer of corruption. Can somebody explain to me how we will prevent foreign mercenaries to enter Pakistan, as long as this corruption mafia is not finished. It is this corruption which facilitates smooth smuggling of lethal weapons that terrorists are equipped with. There should be no mercy for these corrupt bureaucrats, both civil or khaki.

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