File photo of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. PHOTO: FILE
A week after the expiry of his tenure, former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf approved payment of Rs961 million to Midas Advertising Company against a dubious advertisement campaign of Ministry of Water and Power (MoW&P), Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) said.
TIP, a whistle-blower against corruption, drew the attention of the Supreme Court towards fresh development in a case that is already under hearing.
TIP said with reference to the requests made to the Supreme Court in the Human Rights Case No 23957/S/2012, another complaint is received , which pertains to illegal approval granted by former prime minister for release of Rs961 million to Midas Advertising Company a week after his tenure expired.
TIP claimed that the amount of Rs961 million, illegally approved by the ex-PM, is part of advertising contract worth Rs1.637 billion, which was awarded without inviting any tenders by PEPCO & NTDC, whose Chief Executive is Naveed Ismail, ex-CEO of KESC.
Ms Nargis Sethi, Secretary Ministry of Water & Power in early February 2013 refused to allow the payment as the Public Procurement Rules 2004 were violated by PEPCO and NTDC, as tenders were not invited, and also that the so called advertisement costs were not even included in the annual plans of PEPCO & NTDC, which information is mandatory to be posted on the Public Procurement Rules Authority (PPRA) website.
Naveed Ismail’s services have also been terminated by WAPDA on 25th March 2013, TIP said. His appointment as CEO GENCO on 17th February 2012, and as NTDC managing director and CEO of PEPCO was also illegal, due to the fact that in the WAPDA notification issued for his appointment, the terms and conditions of Ismail’s appointment including pay package and tenure of his contract were to be decided later on.
TIP pointed out Iskanadar Ahmed Rai took over as Secretary Ministry of Water and Power after removal of the dissident secretary Nargis Sethi.
Rai, immediately after assuming office, forwarded the summary on March 15, the second last day of the government, for payment to the advertising agency to the then prime minister for approval which was granted within no time.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2013.
COMMENTS (17)
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Raja is known as a honest man in his constituency. He will win no matter what.
And we know transparency of Transparency International. Yellow envelopes again!
Go ahead and elect the same people, you people deserve them, when would this nation of Pakistan ever wake up from this long hibernation. These people who violate the laws of the land and pilfer the treasury like they own it should be sent to jail for long time to come. Please wake up and cast your ballot for those who are honest and will serve the nation instead of amassing wealth and mis-use the power and treasury.
@Logic europe: who says chief executive actions cannot be challenged, if made with bad intention & without following rules....read the constitution.....
The actions of chief e executive can not be challenged For the information of PPP haters a process of law has ti be folowed If ECP fiws rules then mr nawaz stands disqualified according to Asghar khan judgement And if any of the new blood gets elected then get previpus PM to come back and pay back the money Also moraly corupt piticians paying maintainace to children born out of wedlock should be disqualified.
Did Sharif invite any tenders for metrobus, sasti rotti, laptop scheme, motorway, danish schools, aashiana? And what about the punjab govt advertisement?
@Zulfiqar...well said bro...
And how much Sh!arif spent on advertising?
Need to put his name in the Exit Control List asap !
Fruits of oligarchic democracy galore.
Raja should be be given a life term in jail for how much he robbed the people of Pakistan.
I am pretty sure they cant sleep at night from restlessness and for what they have done. I dont know why they dont have any fear of Allah and the day of judgement, they are living as they will live an eternal life here. It will be sad if they will get elected again :(
Is the job to find the best person or the most corrupt, why are our "leaders" the most corrupt when ideally they should be the best of the country. Our leaders are to lead us, not destroy us. Politicians are not meant to fill their pockets. Politics is a service, not a profession. Please dear politicians think of the people you are getting votes from. When you have the power to make Pakistan the best country of the world why the heck are you even thinking of fulfilling your desires. I don't know how you sleep at night when you know you are not fulfilling your responsibilities. The respect you will get if you do something good will be far more valuable than the money you are getting. Please realize.
Sincerely, A Pakistani
Either SCP orders recovery of this sheer waste of money and spending or stop reporting please
It is high time that Pakistan should bring in a law on the lines of Freedom of Information Act,USA,and the Right To Information Act,like in India,to keep some check on corruption. This new law should also cover the judiciary.
my country my rules. justice served