Adil Najam
Rumors of a ‘deal’ between PPP leader Benazir Bhutto and Gen. Pervez Musharraf have been rife for a long time. All indications now suggest that a deal of some sort has, in fact, been reached.
The ferocity with which the rumors are being denied – with obvious insincerity – suggests that something is afoot. The question is, exactly what.
There is little utility, it seems to us, to indulge any further in the speculation than people already are. The much more important question is what – if anything – will such a deal mean for Pakistan and for democracy in Pakistan.
Will it make things better? Will it make things worse? Will things remain as they have always been and this will simply be one more round in the ‘great game’ of musical chairs that has always been Pakistan politics?
That is the question for our new ATP Poll (see top of middle column). Let us know what you think, and why? With your vote in the poll and with your comments below.
Corruption in Musharraf’s Pakistan is at every level so why this Bhutto obsession????
One recent example:
Subject: ILLEGALITIES AND MAL-PRACTICES BY MR. RAZI UR RAHMAN, CHAIRMAN SECP
Respected Sir,
We are the employees of SECP who want to inform you about the dishonest actions, illegalities, irregularities and mal- practices being committed by Mr. Razi Ur Rahman, Chairman Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. Brief detail is as under:
a) Mr. Razi Ur Rehman is giving millions of rupees of public money to his favorites lavishly in the form of advertisements and Consultancy fee etc and all belong to Karachi. It is known by everyone that he is getting kick backs from all the jobs of purchases, renovations and consultancies etc.
b) Mr. Razi Ur Rahman got approved the Promotion Procedure from the Commission and did not get its approval from the Policy Board, which was mandatory as per Securities and Exchange Commission Act. He implemented the illegal Promotion Procedure in haste and promoted his blue eyed officers without taking into the generally recognized principle of “Seniority cum fitness”. He promoted his favorites who were very junior in seniority in the ranks and also paid a full gross salary as promotion bonus. Although there is no provision of Promotion Bonus in the Rules and Laws of SECP.
c) He got appointed to Mr. Ashraf Tiwana (one of his favorites) as Director/Registrar, who had been declared disqualified during the interview for the post of Director (SM) by the Selection Committee some months back. However, in order to accommodate him a new post of Registrar Appellate Bench was created and he was appointed as Director/Registrar on very high salary from the back date and also paid 3 gross salaries as honorarium too.
d) Mr. Razi belongs to Karachi and spends every weekends and also 3 working days there at the cost of SECP money. He receives TA/DA and air passage for these visits and periods. He stays in his own residence there and receives Daily Allowance. Since his appointment as Chairman SECP, he hardly stayed at Islamabad during the weekends. The computerized record of attendance will easily confirm this fact.
e) He is also sending his favorite employees on foreign tours at his own discretion without formal process of nominations. Even he facilitates in making the private visits of his most favorites converting it into as official visit, sending them on official tours and also attaching leave with the tours. The big example is Ms. Amber Dar Ex-Executive Director (Law) who also belonged to Karachi. She enjoyed her personal visits of UK every year making it as official tours, attaching leave with it. There are several other similar cases, which can be verified from the record.
f) Ms. Zaib Shahdani, Assistant Director is also an example. She is very close to Mr. Razi Ur Rahman (who is a divorced man un-luckily). She has also paid several foreign visits including UK, China, Korea and India etc. The record will provide the complete details of her visits.
g) Mr. Razi is also granting rewards to his favorite employees lavishly. He got approved three gross salaries for all the two Commissioners amounting to Rs. 3400,000. Also managed to enhance his and Commissioners salaries to Rs. 5,55,000 per month from Rs. 3, 50,000/- per month with effect from 01-01-2007, with increase of more than 50 percent. He paid full gross salaries as honorarium to all his other favorites like Mr. Ashraf Tiwana, Registrar (3 gross salaries), Miss. Shane (one gross salary) etc. He is employing his favorites on very high salaries like Mr. Zafar Abdullah Executive Director (Rs. 3,42,000 per month), Mr. Mansur Ahsan Executive Director (Rs. 3,10,000 per month, whose deficiency of qualification has also been waived off at the time of appointment) and Mr. Panjwani Director (Rs. 2,00,000 per month) etc. The record of Accounts Department will provide all the details. In short he is looting the exchequer of Securities and Exchange Commission with both hands like “Mallay Muft Dillay Bayreham”.
h) Mr. Razi Ur Rahman is receiving kick backs in all deals and affairs of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, whether it is matter of purchases or renovation of building or engaging of consultants. Interestingly he gives all work to the consultants of Karachi even he also engaged Legal Advisor from Karachi although the Head Office is located in Islamabad. He is severely prejudiced with the employees who are not from Urdu Speaking Community or from Karachi. Presently Traika comprising Mr. Razi Ur Rahman, Mr. Javed K. Siddiqui and Mr. Mansur Ahsan (All belongs to Karachi Urdu Speaking Community) is ruling the SECP. He is also spending 2,50,000/- per month on his own security although the same was never been done by the ex-Chairmen of SECP. Both the Commissioners have been bribed giving them high salaries and three gross salaries as honorarium. Hence, they are keeping their eyes closed on the looting of public money by Mr. Razi Ur Rahman.
i) These are some examples if a thorough investigation is conducted, several similar cases will certainly come in the lime light.
j) Mr. Razi Ur Rehman is not only fully bulldozing the rules and regulations of SECP, but also using the public money in order to please his favorites. He is in fact looting the public exchequer very lavishly.
k) The list of mal-practices and dishonesty at the part of Mr. Razi Ur Rehman is very long during his 1st year of appointment and if he is not checked and removed immediately, the public exchequer of SECP and organization will suffer irreparable loss.
l) Mr. Razi Ur Rahman is making hiring of his favorites against different posts on very high salaries and perks, but the existing regular employees who have been performing the similar jobs for years are being victimized although they have given the cream of their lives to SECP. Their perks/facilities are being withdrawn gradually and contract employees hired by Mr. Razi are being favored lavishly in the form of high salaries, expensive cars and bonuses etc. Recently he hired Directors, Joint Directors and Deputy Directors for Securities Market Division of SECP. The posts were advertised, but without short-listing of other candidates some favorite candidates were interviewed and all of them were offered the jobs on very high salaries. He has also got amendment in Selection Committee Rules and decided if he interviews a candidate directly, there will be no need of interview by Selection Committee. The interesting point is that he violates the Selection Committees as approved by the Commission.
m) The employees who do not obey his illegal and irregular instructions are always discouraged and insulted frequently. Consequently they are resigning, causing brain-drainage out of talented manpower. All the Executive Directors who were hired on merit by the ex-Chairman SECP have been compelled to resign. Recently four Directors and several Joint Directors, Dy Directors and Assistant Directors have resigned because of hopeless, discriminately treatment and disappointing environment created by Mr. Razi Ur Rahman. Several times news articles have been published in the leading daily newspapers on similar mal-practices of Mr. Razi Ur Rahman, but surprisingly no investigation has been conducted or any authority even tried to know the facts.
It is therefore requested to take notice of the situation immediately in the interest of Nation and advise to competent forums like NAB etc to conduct a detailed probe of the situation in Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan to save the public exchequer which is factually being looted with both hands by Mr. Razi ur Rehman, Chairman SECP and his favorites. The name of Mr. Razi and his allies may also please be placed in Exit Control List otherwise it is strong possibility that they will leave the country immediately in order to avoid the accountability.
Yours Faithfully
Employees of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan
Dear Wasiq Ali, Im well aware what Hussain Haqqani is currently doing and where is he posted at. If you read my last post in this thread may be you’ll get to know what I’m trying to stress.
On a different note, I have recently become a regular reader of Hussain Haqqani’s op-eds even though I am not a PPP sympathizer. I know him and his political career a little too well to be comfortable with his political scruples. But I have come to admire his writing and his grasp over important trends. Shows why Nawaz and Benazir both saw him to be useful. I don’t trust his politics but find his political insights very interesting :-)
zjan, I have voted in each of the elections since the first one Benazir won, except for the last elections under Musharraf. I voted for the PPP the first time, and never again. And I know many many other people who regularly vote and do not vote for her. Remember, the PPP has NOT won a real majority since Bhutto’s 1971 elections (it probably would have in 1977 but ZAB messed up his own good thing).
How may of you actually vote as opposed to sitting around bitching about the Bhutto’s. The PPP still has the largest votebank in Pakistan but you people seem to have other contempt for the actual Pakistani voters – perchance because they are poor and less expensively educated. Shame on you. All you do is attack people – Benazir, Haqqani, Nawaz etc