Will the influential ever be convicted?
No positive change can be expected as long as strict action is not taken against the influential accused persons.
In off-the-record conversations, a host of officers from the bureaucracy have confided that judicial activism and the vibrancy of our media have inculcated courage and confidence in them to take a principled stand against unlawful orders given by their superiors. The officers feel emboldened and secure that if they are persecuted for their righteous stand, the media will support them.
The other reason for this newfound boldness is the immediacy of suo motu notices taken by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in various multibillion rupees scandals. Examples of these scandals would include OGRA, EOBI, ETPB, TDAP, Memogate, NPF, Hajj Corruption, Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan Railways dubious deals, the prime minister’s discretionary fund, RPPs, ephedrine quota allotment, Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan/IB’s secret fund, information ministry secret fund and transfer/promotion related cases like civil servants Anita Turab, Orya Maqbool Jan, etc.
There is no doubt that courage among the bureaucrats is a positive sign for the system and society. But in reality, they are not completely safe and secure. Incidents like the mysterious death of the NAB investigating officer Kamran Faisal, who worked on the mega corruption RPPs case against the (influential) accused are big hurdles in the smooth dispensation of justice. This is one big reason that despite special attention from the Supreme Court as well as the media, out of all the mega corruption and high profile cases, not a single influential accused has ever been convicted, so far.
In my opinion, no positive change can be expected as long as strict action is not taken against the influential accused persons. In the prevalent circumstances, who would like to be on the wrong side of the high and mighty or those who can buy or bump off officers with impunity?
If the end result of the above-mentioned mega corruption scandals will be in line with the previous routine, then the officers who risk their careers and lives for the sake of justice and fair play would surely be quite disappointed.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2013.
The other reason for this newfound boldness is the immediacy of suo motu notices taken by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in various multibillion rupees scandals. Examples of these scandals would include OGRA, EOBI, ETPB, TDAP, Memogate, NPF, Hajj Corruption, Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan Railways dubious deals, the prime minister’s discretionary fund, RPPs, ephedrine quota allotment, Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan/IB’s secret fund, information ministry secret fund and transfer/promotion related cases like civil servants Anita Turab, Orya Maqbool Jan, etc.
There is no doubt that courage among the bureaucrats is a positive sign for the system and society. But in reality, they are not completely safe and secure. Incidents like the mysterious death of the NAB investigating officer Kamran Faisal, who worked on the mega corruption RPPs case against the (influential) accused are big hurdles in the smooth dispensation of justice. This is one big reason that despite special attention from the Supreme Court as well as the media, out of all the mega corruption and high profile cases, not a single influential accused has ever been convicted, so far.
In my opinion, no positive change can be expected as long as strict action is not taken against the influential accused persons. In the prevalent circumstances, who would like to be on the wrong side of the high and mighty or those who can buy or bump off officers with impunity?
If the end result of the above-mentioned mega corruption scandals will be in line with the previous routine, then the officers who risk their careers and lives for the sake of justice and fair play would surely be quite disappointed.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2013.