The Faux Umbrage of ‘Corruption’
http://www.mosharrafzaidi.com/
http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=210118
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
by Mosharraf Zaidi
The 2007 Annual Report for the National Accountability Bureau is the most recent that can be found at the NAB website. On page “V” of this report, you will find a list of staff members of the NAB titled “Leadership.” Not surprisingly, the philosophy of Pakistan’s philosopher-warrior king at the time, Gen Pervez Musharraf, shines radiantly through the names.
Eight of the 12 names are preceded by a mighty title of an officer rank in the Pakistani military. Military men made up the vast majority of Musharraf’s trusted accomplices in the business of stealing Pakistani sovereignty from the people, and mutilating its Constitution. If you ask an officer, he will tell you why this was the case. (In fact, if you know an officer, you must make it a point to ask.) He will tell you it is because the military is Pakistan’s cleanest institution.
Perhaps that is true. And perhaps Pakistan’s lawyers are all men of valour that stand for the rule of law, and nothing less. And perhaps Pakistan’s judges are also all without equal in integrity and honesty.
Under the current corruption laws and regulations, I suppose we will never truly know. Because under the current definition, if you are a member, past or present, of the military or the judiciary, you are virtually immune from being prosecuted for corruption.
The only thieving scumbags that it is worth prosecuting in Pakistan are those enablers of military and judicial theft that work in the private sector, that are members of Pakistan’s civil services, and that call themselves politicians.
Sometimes, in our land of conspiracy theories, the facts should be allowed to speak for themselves.
“From the beginning of the current military government in 1999 through March 2005, the NAB prosecuted 368 cases of high-level corruption. Of these prosecutions, 173 cases involved politicians and only 13 involved former armed forces personnel, even though serving and retired military officers head several public-sector enterprises and hold more than 1,000 positions in the civil service.”
That is an excerpt from the 2006 “Countries at the Crossroads” report on Pakistan by the Washington-based Freedom House.
But, of course, since it is based in Washington DC, Freedom House may not represent a viable source. After all, like the Kerry Lugar Bill, the Starbucks on K Street, and the Washington Redskins, most things in Washington DC are part of the conspiracy to make Pakistanis seem like bad people.
But what about Pakistani politicians’ own commitments?
Section B, Article 24 of the “Charter of Democracy”–that idealistic claptrap that the PPP signed in partnership with Pakistan’s other opposition parties at the time–states:
“All military and judicial officers will be required to file annual assets and income declarations like parliamentarians to make them accountable to the public.”
Once again, it seems abundantly clear that a massive opportunity to right a ship that was all wrong for so, so long, was wasted by the PPP’s mindless negligence of its own promises.
Of course, part of the reason the government never wanted to touch corruption was because this very day was what it feared. After all, when you construct a core advisory team full of allegedly unscrupulous thieves and charlatans, you should be scared. President Asif Ali Zardari’s political choices are a reflection of his own political skills. Among the Farooq Naeks, the Salman Faruqis, the Rehman Maliks, the Fauzia Wahabs, and the Husain Haqqanis, he chose a group that could help the Bhutto-Zardari enterprise flourish in terms of transactions, rents and spin, but not one that could help it politically.
This government of the people took its own legitimacy all too seriously. Perhaps it felt its legitimacy afforded it irrational and suicidal public policy. Pakistan was already teetering under the burden of the failures of eight disastrous years without democratic governance when the PPP got the chance to form a government. But it is the PPP’s own failures to manage public expectations and to actually do the work governments are supposed to do, that have created the current environment.
Success on any of the major national issues would perhaps have bought this government more stability than it enjoys. But we have to wonder how much stability it deserves, after watching more than eighteen months of disastrous performance, from national security, law and order, service delivery to jobs creation, fiscal responsibility and monetary common sense.
The answer is, it deserves a lot more than it will get. The national mistrust of President Zardari and his advisory corps is not necessarily misplaced. But our impatience with democracy certainly is. This is a time for real politicians and democrats to stand up and be counted. Stupidly, almost as if on cue, the obdurate and unlearning Imran Khan calls for mid-term elections, while most wisely (no matter what feelings are bottled up in Lahore), Mian Nawaz Sharif urges more patience, and much caution.
The NRO list hullabaloo is yet more manufactured and faux umbrage. We should be clear about what the NRO represents. It represents a list of alleged thieves, swindlers and all-round scumbags that has been edited twice. Sometimes, as not enough editors will admit, the real story is in the edits.
The first edit was the selective morality edit of an illegitimate military government. Gen Pervez Musharraf may once have wanted really clean government, but he was ultimately interested in the survival of his own government; clean, dusty or downright filthy, it really did not matter. So while his National Accountability Bureau chased down bureaucrats and politicians with selective amnesia and selective zeal, it made a conscious decision not to pursue cases against members of the military, or members of the judiciary. At least on the latter account, I am sure the General came to rue his decision.
The second edit was the selective nature of the NRO itself, as it did not include every pending case against politicians, but was instead deliberately directed towards enabling the participation of the PPP and the MQM in national politics.
An NRO list worth getting worked up about would need to be littered with as many military officer prefixes as the cushiest jobs in Pakistan’s public sector were littered with during the eight years of enlightened moderation and selective accountability of Gen Musharraf’s rule.
But we are not about to see such a list anytime soon. Nor are we about to see any meaningful convictions or prosecutions in this country. Because it was not just the selection of targets by Gen Musharraf that was flawed. Like everything else during those dark years, the technical processing of cases was uniformly flawed. Why? Because PMA Kakul does not train young men to be prosecutors.
The NAB and Gen Musharraf’s twisted integrity drive (other than the short period of time it was run by Gen Muhammad Amjad) was not just politically biased. It was technically incompetent. And none of this should surprise us. The NAB’s impure intentions and its technical unfitness are only more of the same in a Pakistan whose resilience beggars belief.
This shows how we are bieng strangled by our own people!
Posted by Meherzaidi | 24. Nov, 2009, 12:04 pmSomebody recently said that nobody in Pakistan believes in or even wants accountability, not even the public! Adds new meaning to Ghalib’s “Mat pooche ke kyaa haal hai mera tere peechay, yeh deikh ke kyaa rang hai teraa meray aagey!”…. aaaha-ha kaisee rangeen leadership paayee hai ham ne, maashallah…par qaum bhee alhamdolillah black and white nahin hai, jaisaa kee aik aur shaayar kehtey hain “sab khaayaa hai”
Good one, Musharraf!
Posted by Suhaib Kiani | 25. Nov, 2009, 10:21 amSo the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) beneficiaries list comes out. The media is happy that those persons who enjoyed taking advantage of the NRO have light casted upon them, while the government is trying to push forward the argument of how they have respected the Supreme Court’s judgment and have publicized the list. It seems to be a win-win situation for all parties. But is it really? Calls for the resignation of ministries and portfolios have echoed from all corners. How has this zero-sum game turned into a finger-pointing-name-calling battle?
http://ahraza.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/so-what-its-just-the-nro/
Posted by AHR | 26. Nov, 2009, 12:25 pm786
;Address: 185, Street 15, Block 3, Sharafabad Karachi
December 2, 2009
Mr. Zafar Mahmood ,
Federal Secretary to the
Government of Pakistan for Commerce,
Ministry of Commerce,
Government of Pakistan,
Islamabad.
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR REINSTATEMENT ON THE SERVICE AS MANAGER, NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED
Respected Sir,
Please refer to my Appealed vide letters/emails dated June 12, 2009 addressed to Mr. Suleman Ghani, Federal Secretary (Commerce), dated June 20, 2009 addressed to Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Sr. Federal Minister (Commerce), dated June 27, 2009 addressed to Makhdoom Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Head of the Government and dated July 3, 2009 addressed to His Excellency, Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan, Head of the State and all copies endorsed to our Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry via fax No. 051-9201001 & email on the above subject but till todate all functionaries of Government & State had failed to expedite the matter and Justice to undersigned.
In addition, I also sent my appeal letter dated July 11, 2009, July 17, 2009, July 29, 2009, August 5, 2009 , August 14, Sept 1, Sept 10, Sept 24, October 7, October 20, Nov 04, Nov 16, 2009 addressed to the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry & Sept 1, 2009, Sept 10, Sept 24, October 7, 2009 October 20, Nov 04, Nov 16, 2009 addressed to Asma Jahangir Chairperson HRCP on the above subject, which was email, faxed & TCS on the fax no. 051-9201001.
Now, This is to inform to you that my service as Manager NICL was illegally terminated on 7th April 2009 without assigning any reasons (copy enclosed at Annex A). The termination notice was issued by Mr. Aamer M. Iqbal, General Manager (Human Resources and training) on the verbal instruction of Mr. Jamil Ahmed Arain, Manager(PS to Chairman). Mr. Aamer M. Iabal, GM (HR&T) did not adopt the procedure laid down by board of directors of NICL (delegation of powers) and Establishment Division of Government of Pakistan for any termination. The notice/order was issued without prior approval on the note sheet by the Competent Authority (Chairman & CEO, NICL). In this connection, I have requested multiple times to Mr. Jamil Ahmed Arain, Manager(PS to Chairman) to arrange my appointment/meeting with the Chairman for the personal hearing but Mr. Jamil always refused to arrange any appointment for undersigned.
Secondly, incase if Chairman, NICL ordered termination of my services (verbally), then there should be some reasons for termination either my performance was below standards or I was surplus in the NICL. In case my performance was below standards then why NICL didn’t issued any explanations and show cause notices to me. Furthermore, Mr. Aamer M. Iqbal GM (HR&T) did not mention any reason in my termination order/notice. In this connection, NICL issued me clearance Performa dully signed by each department (copy enclosed at Annex B). Moreover final settlement has also been paid to the undersigned without any objection in mid May 2009. My performance has always found satisfactory by NICL Management / all Chairman’s (copy enclosed at Annex C [1-3 page of note sheet] & D) and till-date from my appointment no explanation and show cause notices has been issued to me. In case management supposed that I was the surplus Officer in NICL, then how can NICL appointed more officers/ officials at all level from Consultant, General Manager to lowest level (More than 100 person hired) without publishing these posts in the national newspapers. Whereas I was appointed in November 2006 against the post advertised in daily dawn on merit and at that time NICL adopted all procedures for appointment laid down by the board of directors of NICL and Establishment Division of Government of Pakistan. Before that I was working since 1999 as Project Officer in Export Promotion Bureau/Trade Development Authoirty of Pakistan . my performance in EPB/TDAP has always found satisfactory by my Senior Officers, DG’s, Vice Chairman’s & Chairman’s.
Futher to inform you that National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) has published 2nd job opportunity advertisement in Daily Dawn on 17 Sept 2009, after appointment of more than 100 persons as officers/ officials at all levels from Consultant, General Manager to lowest level (peon) without publishing the positions in the national newspapers since the charge assumption by the new Chairman Mr. Muhammad Ayaz Khan Niazi on February 12, 2009, which is the clear violation of para iii (b) of Establishment Division OM No. 6/2/2000-R.3 dated 6th May 2000 (Annex F). Further the New Chairman NICL did many thing illegal from appointments specially the appointment of Pilipino Maid at his residence on NICL’s expenditure, firing/terminations, forced resignations, in investments in Bank & Property violating Finance Division/Ministry of Finance Directives, purchases violating PPRA rules purchase of lands, public money remitted to abroad etc. he is not capable to run this public services organization specially insurance sector. he was appointed illegally without adopting procedure laid down by establishment division for appointment of private sector person for head of public organization (publizing the post in national news paper). Transparency International Report 2009 and content of the its website http://www.transparency.org.pk/ (as National insurance Corporation) is a big evidence of his corruption on tendering and proved my above statement.
Sir, In view of the above facts and pending request regarding my reinstatement in your good Offices /Ministry, you are requested to kindly intervene for restoration of my services as Manager NICL.
Yours truly
(Muhammad Shahab Siddiqui)
Manager NICL
Personal file No. 1256
Cell: 03343309530
——————————————————————————–
—– Forwarded Message —-
From: Muhammad Shahab Siddiqui
To: registrar@supremecourt.gov.pk; cj@supremecourt.gov.pk; chiefjustice@supremecourt.gov.pk; cjp@supremecourt.gov.pk; mail@supremecourt.gov.pk; aghs@brain.net.pk; hrcp@cyber.net.pk; hrcp@cyber.net.pk; info@icj.org; hrcp@hrcp-web.org; hrcp@brain.net.pk; hrcpquetta1@hotmail.com; hrcp@hyd.paknet.com.pk; hrcpmul1@yahoo.com; hrcp@dslplus.net.pk; hrcp-humanrights@hotmail.com; hrcpsukkur@yahoo.com; Appeals@fidh-omct.org; Appeals@fidh-omct.org; asmalaw@hotmail.com; freedomofreligion@ohchr.org; urgent-action@ohchr.org; acardon@ohchr.org; membership@hrc.org; hrwnyc@hrw.org; hrwpress@hrw.org; hrwbe@hrw.org; berlin@hrw.org; chicago@hrw.org; hrwgva@hrw.org; Eleanor.Hevey@hrw.org; hrwlasb@hrw.org; paris@hrw.org; hrwsf@hrw.org; tokyo@hrw.org; toronto@hrw.org; hrwdc@hrw.org; webadmin@hrw.org; Muhammad Shahab Siddiqui
Cc: Presidentofpakistan@president.gov.pk; president@president.gov.pk; asif.zardari@president.gov.pk; aazardari@president.gov.pk; zardari@president.gov.pk; president.aazardari@president.gov.pk; publicmail@president.gov.pk; farhat.babar@president.gov.pk; sohail.ali@president.gov.pk; mushir.ali@president.gov.pk; muneer.ahmad@president.gov.pk; makhdoomyrgillani@hotmail.com; webmaster@infopak.gov.pk; pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk; nsethi@pmsectt.gov.pk; cm@commerce.gov.pk; pscm@commerce.gov.pk; ataullah.moc@gmail.com; secretary@establishment.gov.pk; pssecretary@establishment.gov.pk; mincom@commerce.gov.pk; csppp@comsats.net.pk; azhar_39@hotmail.com; pm@pmsectt.gov.pk; primeminister@pmsectt.gov.pk; makhdoomyrgillani@pmsectt.gov.pk; myrgillani@pmsectt.gov.pk; msyrgillani@pmsectt.gov.pk; yrgillani@pmsectt.gov.pk; sqaiser@pmsectt.gov.pk; aikhan@pmsectt.gov.pk; gnmangrio@pmsectt.gov.pk; igardezi@pmsectt.gov.pk; scp2000@isb.paknet.com.pk; aitzaz_ahsan@hotmail.com; rrabbani@cyber.net.pk; pakbarcouncil@hotmail.com; muneer@paklaw.com; romana.daniel@int-bar.org; iba@int-bar.org; member@int-bar.org; hrcp@hrcp-web.org; info@pihro.org; pihr@pihr.org.pk; director@pihr.org.pk; chairperson@pihr.org.pk; info@pihr.org.pk; hrwpress@hrw.org; shahabsiddiqui@e-mile.co.uk; marvi.memon@gmail.com; awamimuslimleague@gmail.com; sheikhrashidahmed@gmail.com; amlpyw@gmail.com; awami_muslimleague@yahoo.com; haroon.rashid@janggroup.com.pk; minallah@isb.compol.com
Sent: Thu, November 26, 2009 1:56:18 PM
Subject: Fw: REQUEST/APPEAL FOR REINSTATEMENT ON THE SERVICE AS MANAGER, NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED — REMINDER-XIV to Hon. Chief Justice to Pakistan, and seeking help of HRCP–> REMINDER VII
REMINDER XIV to:
November 26, 2009
1. Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan,
Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry,
Supreme Court of Pakistan,
Supreme Court Building,
Islamabad.
Fax: 051-9220406/ 9213452 /9201001
REMINDER VII to:
2. Ms. Asma Jahangir
Chairperson
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
SUBJECT: REQUEST/APPEAL REINSTATEMENT ON THE SERVICE AS MANAGER, NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED
Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan &
Chairperson HRCP,
Please refer to my previous appeal letter dated July 11, 2009, July 17, 2009, July 29, 2009, August 5, 2009 , August 14, Sept 1, Sept 10, Sept 24, October 7, October 20, Nov 04, Nov 16, 2009 addressed to the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry & Sept 1, 2009, Sept 10, Sept 24, October 7, 2009 October 20, Nov 04, Nov 16, 2009 addressed to Asma Jahangir Chairperson HRCP on the above subject, which was email, faxed & TCS on the fax no. 051-9201001
This is to inform again to Hon. CJP & Chairperson HRCP again that I Appealed vide letters dated June 12, 2009 addressed to Mr. Suleman Ghani, Federal Secretary (Commerce), dated June 20, 2009 addressed to Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Sr. Federal Minister (Commerce), dated June 27, 2009 addressed to Makhdoom Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Head of the Government and dated July 3, 2009 addressed to His Excellency, Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan, Head of the State and all copies endorsed to our Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry via fax No. 051-9201001 & email on the above subject but till todate all functionaries of Government & State had failed to expedite the matter and Justice to undersigned.
National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) has published 2nd job opportunity advertisement in Daily Dawn on 17 Sept 2009, after appointment of more than 100 persons as officers/ officials at all levels from Consultant, General Manager to lowest level (peon) without publishing the positions in the national newspapers since the charge assumption by the new Chairman Mr. Muhammad Ayaz Khan Niazi on February 12, 2009, which is the clear violation of para iii (b) of Establishment Division OM No. 6/2/2000-R.3 dated 6th May 2000 (Annex F). Further the New Chairman NICL did many thing illegal from appointments specially the appointment of Pilipino Maid at his residence on NICL’s expenditure, firing/terminations, investments violating Finance Division/Ministry of Finance Directives, purchases violating PPRA rules purchase of lands, public money remitted to abroad etc. he is not capable to run this public services organization specially insurance sector. he was appointed illegally without adopting procedure laid down by establishment division for appointment of private sector person for head of public organization (publizing the post in national news paper). Transparency International Report 2009 and content of the its website http://www.transparency.org.pk/ (as National insurance Corporation) is a big evidence of his corruption on tendering and proved my above statement.
Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan & Chairperson HRCP, In view of the above facts and pending request/appeal regarding my reinstatement in Commerce Ministry and the Government, Hon. CJP & Chairperson are once again requested to kindly intervene for justice & reinstatement of my services as Manager NICL. I shall be very grateful for your kind justice.
Thanking You
Yours Sincerely
(Muhammad Shahab Siddiqui)
Manager NICL
Personal file No. 1256
Cell: 03343309530
REAL TEXT —> {This is to inform again to Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan that my service as Manager NICL was illegally terminated on 7th April 2009 without assigning any reasons (copy enclosed at Annex A). The termination notice was issued by Mr. Aamer M. Iqbal, General Manager (Human Resources and training) on the verbal instruction of Mr. Jamil Ahmed Arain, Manager(PS to Chairman). Mr. Aamer M. Iabal, GM (HR&T) did not adopt the procedure laid down by board of directors of NICL (delegation of powers) and Establishment Division of Government of Pakistan for any termination. The notice/order was issued without prior approval on the note sheet by the Competent Authority (Chairman & CEO, NICL). In this connection, I have requested multiple times to Mr. Jamil Ahmed Arain, Manager(PS to Chairman) to arrange my appointment/meeting with the Chairman for the personal hearing but Mr. Jamil always refused to arrange any appointment for undersigned.
Secondly, incase if Chairman, NICL ordered termination of my services (verbally), then there should be some reasons for termination either my performance was below standards or I was surplus in the NICL. In case my performance was below standards then why NICL didn’t issued any explanations and show cause notices to me. Furthermore, Mr. Aamer M. Iqbal GM (HR&T) did not mention any reason in my termination order/notice. In this connection, NICL issued me clearance Performa dully signed by each department (copy enclosed at Annex B). Moreover final settlement has also been paid to the undersigned without any objection in mid May 2009. My performance has always found satisfactory by NICL Management / all Chairman’s (copy enclosed at Annex C [1-3 page of note sheet] & D) and till-date from my appointment no explanation and show cause notices has been issued to me. In case management supposed that I was the surplus Officer in NICL, then how can NICL appointed more officers/ officials at all level from Consultant, General Manager to lowest level (More than 100 person hired) without publishing these posts in the national newspapers. Whereas I was appointed in November 2006 against the post advertised in daily dawn on merit and at that time NICL adopted all procedures for appointment laid down by the board of directors of NICL and Establishment Division of Government of Pakistan}}
Posted by Muhammad Shahab Siddiqui | 12. Dec, 2009, 3:47 pmI lately came across your site and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first note. I dont know what to say, except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting your site very often.
Posted by cpanel | 16. Aug, 2010, 3:56 pm