We need more people like Maryam

Monday, October 05, 2009 Syed Anwar Mahmood (The News) Maryam Gilani has done us proud. She has also set an example for her peers and colleagues to follow. And she has put to shame the senior ones who lost the opportunity in their careers to say no to orders that were not legal and which violated the rules. Maryam is a young officer who joined the Pakistan Railways Service through the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination only a few years ago. She is upright and courageous and upholds merit in public service. Looking after the personnel branch at Pakistan Railways’ Rawalpindi Division, Maryam refused to issue letters of appointment to candidates on the list reportedly sent by the Minister for Railways. The minister had allegedly sent a list of candidates, all belonging to his constituency, to be appointed against the available vacancies. Obliging the minister would have meant ignoring all other applicants who were otherwise eligible for appointment based on the laid down criteria. Maryam said her boss, the Divisional Superintendent of Railways, asked her to oblige the minister and find out ways to circumvent the rules, criteria and even the quota system. Maryam refused saying she could not violate the rules and ignore merit. Retaliation was quick to come. Maryam was placed under suspension. Undeterred, she is resolute in her conviction that appointments in public service should be based on merit and not ‘sifarish’. She is also ready to face the consequences of her stand and is seeking relief under the law. Since the matter is subjudice, I shall not comment on it any further. Comments, however, will continue to be made on the courage and character demonstrated by this young officer. These are qualities that were once the hallmark of our civil services. These are qualities that have generally evaporated from the cadres of the same for many reasons, not the least being lack of security of service and poor compensation. The new-born state of Pakistan, fragile, resource starved and inundated by millions of refugees not only survived but continued to grow from strength to strength only because it had inherited a cadre of civil servants who valued merit, were bold and courageous and were motivated to serve. Some of them later meddled in politics, to the great detriment of the country but none of them were blamed for corruption. The purge done by Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was more political and had little to do with the desire to eradicate corruption. The accountability process continues to suffer from this malaise to this day. What Maryam did in the course of her duty is indeed credible. Such acts should be the norm in public service. Unfortunately, however, these are the exceptions. Such is the state of our governance that the alleged desire of the minister is taken as part of the political culture. Confronted with this allegation on Geo TV’s ‘Capital Talk’, the minister did not deny the action, saying only that he had not written the list himself. Obviously, Ministers do not write themselves. They have such lists prepared by others. No thought is given to the fact that favouring some one unduly has to be at the cost of some one deserving. That surely must have been the consideration Maryam had when she refused to act against the rules. She deserves all round support, especially from the media. Unfortunately however, while we watch and read comments on many issues of the day, those like Maryam’s draw little attention. One must commend Hamid Mir, Haroon Rashid and Geo TV for bringing it to the fore. While not many of our leaders are known for their belief in the rule of law and observance of rules, the late Mohammad Khan Junejo was one prime minister who would always ask “baba rule position kia hai?” At the end of office hours one day, I (then serving as his press secretary) was summoned by him through his ADC. As I knocked and entered the prime minister’s chamber, I saw his principal secretary and additional secretary standing near his desk. The discussion was about inducting an officer very close to him in the secretariat group. He was told it was in his competence to do so. Junejo responded that if it was, let the law and establishment divisions initiate the case on merit and state the “rule position... I will decide accordingly.” He then stood up and left. No such summary was ever received in the prime minister’s office and the officer was never inducted in the secretariat group. Here is an opportunity for Prime Minister Gilani to show the nation that he believes in merit. He must move in support of the young officer who only coincidentally happens to be a Gilani. She is no relation of the prime minister. Mr Gilani must get the matter probed transparently under a senior judicial officer and take action under the law. If what Maryam says is true, the minister must be held accountable and the officer must be rewarded. This will do immense good to his government and add to his political stature. It will also send all the right signals to the bureaucracy in whose efficiency rests the performance of his administration. The writer is a former federal secretary. Email: sanwermahmood@hotmail.com

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Establishment in Pakistan: A tool of the Saudi-American international mafia

Here is an analysis by Zamarrud Naqvi exposing the influence of Saudi-American players in civil and military establishment in Pakistan.

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Pakistan's Foreign Office: a subsidiary of ISI

BBC Urdu dot com: Pakistan's Foreign Office has always been a subsidiary of ISI

پاکستانی وزارتِ خارجہ: طفیلی ادارہ!

بیورو رپورٹ

اسلام آباد

بے نظیر بھٹو اور نواز شریف نہ صرف بھارت سےبہتر تعلقات بلکہ افغان صورتحال سے بھی پاکستان کو مرحلہ وار الگ کرنے کے خواہش مند تھے۔

آئی ایس آئی کے ایک سابق سربراہ جنرل ریٹائرڈ اسد درانی نے کہا ہے کہ پاکستان کی وزارتِ خارجہ پالیسی ساز ادارہ نہیں بلکہ دی گئی پالیسی پر عمل درآمد کرنے والا ادارہ ہے۔ ان کے بقول پاکستان چونکہ ایک سکیورٹی سٹیٹ ہے اس لیے دفترِ خارجہ کو پالیسی ساز خطوط بڑی حد تک فوج کی جانب سے فراہم کیے جاتے ہیں۔ دفترِ خارجہ کے سفارت کار فراہم کردہ پالیسی پر عمل درآمد کا ذیلی کردار ہی ادا کرسکتے ہیں۔ باالفاظِ دیگر دنیا بھر میں پھیلے ہوئے پاکستانی سفارتخانے دراصل وہ شے فروخت کرنے والے پرچون کاؤنٹر ہیں جسے بنانے میں ان کا یا تو نہایت معمولی کردار ہے یا بالکل نہیں ہے۔ جنرل درانی نے یہ بات اخبار ڈان کے مطابق اسلام آباد میں خارجہ پالیسی کے موضوع پر ہونے والی ایک ورکشاپ میں اپنے مقالے میں کہی۔

روس میں پاکستان کے سابق سفیر شاہد امین نے ورکشاپ سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ دفترِ خارجہ کو پالیسی بنانے کی آزادی کبھی بھی میسر نہیں رہی اور فوج کو ہمیشہ خارجہ اور دفاع کی پالیسی میں بالادستی رہی ہے۔ ایک آمرانہ فضا میں حکمران دفترِ خارجہ سے پیشگی صلاح مشورے کے بغیر فیصلے کرنے کے عادی رہے ہیں اس لیے پالیسی منصوبہ بندی کا تصور پنپ نہیں سکا۔

سابق سکریٹری خارجہ شمشاد احمد نے مذکورہ مقررین کی بات آگے بڑھاتے ہوئے کہا کہ بہت مرتبہ منتخب نمائندوں سے بالا بالا ایسے ناقص فیصلے کیے گئے جو بروقت نہیں تھے۔ لہذا ان میں یا تو تبدیلی کرنی پڑی یا پھران فیصلوں کو یکسر واپس لینا پڑا۔ یہ فیصلہ تاریخ ہی کرسکتی ہے کہ ہم نے یہ پالیسیاں کیوں اور کیسے اپنائیں۔

ضیا دور میں غیرملکی سفارتکار مزے لے لے کر بتاتے تھے کہ پاکستان کے دفترِ خارجہ میں وزارتِ دفاع سے زیادہ فوجی افسر نظر آتے ہیں

]طارق فاطمی

سابق سرکردہ سفارتکار طارق فاطمی نے کہا کہ ضیا دور میں غیرملکی سفارتکار مزے لے لے کر بتاتے تھے کہ پاکستان کے دفترِ خارجہ میں وزارتِ دفاع سے زیادہ فوجی افسر نظر آتے ہیں۔ طارق فاطمی کے بقول افغانستان اور بھارت سے متعلق ہمیشہ دو خارجہ پالیسیاں متوازی انداز میں چلائی گئیں۔ ایک پالیسی دفترِ خارجہ چلاتا تھا اور دوسری پالیسی انٹیلی جنس ایجنسیاں۔ بے نظیر بھٹو اور نواز شریف نہ صرف بھارت سےبہتر تعلقات چاہتے تھے بلکہ افغان صورتحال سے بھی پاکستان کو مرحلہ وار الگ کرنے کے خواہش مند تھے لیکن دونوں رہنماؤں کو انٹیلی جنس ایجنسیوں نے ایسا نہیں کرنے دیا۔

سابق سکریٹری خارجہ تنویر احمد خان نے اپنے مقالے میں پاکستان کی خارجہ پالیسی کی تاریخ پر توجہ مرکوز کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ انیس سو اڑتالیس میں راولپنڈی میں سینئر افسروں کے ایک گروپ نے وزیرِ اعظم لیاقت علی خان کو آمادہ کرلیا کہ وہ سوویت یونین نہیں جائیں گے۔ اس کے بعد لیاقت علی خان امریکہ چلے گئے۔ تنویر احمد خان کے بقول یہ گروپ اس رحجان کا آغاز تھا جسے آج کل ہم اسٹیبلشمنٹ کہتے ہیں۔

خارجہ پالیسی پر یہ اور دیگر ماہرین کے مقالے جامعہ کراچی کے شعبہ بین الاقوامی تعلقات کے سربراہ ڈاکٹر مونس احمر نے ’ فارن پالیسی میکنگ پروسس۔ آ کیس سٹڈی آف پاکستان‘ کے عنوان سے کتابی شکل میں شائع کردیے ہیں۔ ڈاکٹر مونس نے کتاب کے تعارف میں بتایا کہ کس طرح فوج اور انٹیلی جینس ایجنسیاں فارن پالیسی کی تشکیل میں دفترِ خارجہ، پارلیمنٹ، رائے عامہ اور سول سوسائٹی کے کردار پر اثرانداز ہوتی آئی ہیں۔ حالانکہ ان سویلین اداروں کی رائے اگر خارجہ پالیسی میں منعکس ہو تو اس کے سبب بیرونی دنیا سے پاکستان کے تعلقات صحت مند خطوط پر استوار رہ سکتے ہیں

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From Minus One to Minus Two Formula in Pakistan

Ali Salman's analysis points towards the possibility that the anti-democracy establishment (military and civil bureaucracy) in Pakistan may be behind the campaigns to defame President Zardari and Nawaz Sharif.

مائنس ون نہیں اب مائنس ٹو

علی سلمان

بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام ، لاہور

پیپلز پارٹی اور مسلم لیگ اس نکتے پر تو متفق ہیں کہ کسی بھی صورتحال سے باہمی اختلافات بھلا کر نبٹا جائے گا

مسلم لیگ نون کے سربراہ میاں محمد نواز شریف کو بظاہر اسٹیبلشمنٹ کے انہی ہتھکنڈوں کا سامنا ہے جو پاکستان میں اب تک صرف پیپلز پارٹی کا مقدر رہے ہیں۔

مسلم لیگ نون پر ہونے والے تابڑ توڑ میڈیا حملوں سے بظاہر یوں لگتا ہے کہ نواز شریف یا تو اسٹیبلشمنٹ میں اپنا اعتماد کھو بیٹھے ہیں یا پھر پاکستان کے بااثر حلقے ان سے کوئی ایسی بات منوانا چاہتے ہیں جس پر وہ اڑے ہوئے ہیں۔

مسلم لیگ کے رہنماؤں میں ایک عمومی تاثر ہے کہ یہ پیپلز پارٹی کی سازش ہے اور اس میں اس کے اتحادی ایم کیو ایم وغیرہ شامل ہیں۔ان کا یہ بھی خیال ہے کہ ایسا مسلم لیگ نون کے رہنما نواز شریف کی بڑھتی ہوئی مقبولیت کو کم کرنے کے لیےکیا جارہا ہے۔

پیپلز پارٹی کے حکمران رہنما، مسلم لیگ نون کے طرز تخاطب پر سیخ پا تو ہو رہے ہیں اور مولا جٹ کی بڑھک کے جواب میں نوری نت کا ڈائیلاگ بھی پھینک دیتے ہیں لیکن اس کے باوجود پیپلز پارٹی والے الزام تراشی میں ایک حد کو عبور نہیں کررہے ہیں۔

پی پی کے رہنما کردارکشی کی مہم میں ملوث ہونے کی بار بار تردید کررہے ہیں اور مسلم لیگ کو مشورہ دے رہے ہیں کہ پیپلز پارٹی سے جھگڑنے کی بجائے اسی حوصلے سے ان الزمات کا مقابلہ جس سے پیپلز پارٹی ان سے نمٹتی آئی ہے۔

مسلم لیگ نون میں کچھ رہنماؤں کا پیپلز پارٹی کے ساتھ رویہ نسبتاً مصالحانہ ہے لیکن وہ اس تشویش میں ضرور مبتلا ہیں کہ اچانک ہونے والے ان میڈیا حملوں کے پس پردہ وجوہات کیا ہیں؟ اور کیا یہ کسی گہری سازش کے ابتدائی تانے بانے تو نہیں ہیں؟

خفیہ ایجنسیوں کے ریٹائرڈ سربراہوں نے اچانک کس اشارے پر بیان بازی شروع کی ہے: وفاقی وزیر

بیس برس پرانی اور مسلم لیگ نون کے رہنماؤں کے بقول مردہ کہانیوں کا اچانک منظر عام پر آنا معمول کی صحافتی سرگرمی نہیں ہے۔

پیپلز پارٹی کے ایک وفاقی وزیر کا کہنا ہے کہ مسلم لیگ اس بات پر غور کرے کہ خفیہ ایجنسیوں کے ریٹائرڈ سربراہوں نے اچانک کس اشارے پر بیان بازی شروع کی ہے۔

مسلم لیگ نون کے رہنما کردار کشی کی مہم کی جو بے شمار وجوہات بتاتے ہیں ان میں سے ایک سابق صدر پرویز مشرف کو بغاوت کے مقدمے سے بچانا بھی شامل ہے۔

سیاسی تجزیہ کاروں کا کہنا ہے کہ پہلی بات تو یہ کہ حکمران پیپلز پارٹی کو سابق فوجی صدر پرویز مشرف کو بچانے میں اس کےسوا کوئی خاص دلچسپی نہیں ہے کہ اس پیروں میں بھاری ذمہ داریوں کی بیڑیاں ہیں اور دوسرے یہ کہ پرویز مشرف کو بچانے کے لیے نواز شریف کے اس قسم کے میڈیا ٹرائل کی کوئی خاص ضرورت بھی نہیں تھی کیونکہ اپوزیشن جماعت کے رہنمامشاہد حسین کے بقول اس کے لیے سعودی عرب سے آنے والی ایک ٹیلی فون کال ہی کافی ہے۔

لندن میں صدر مملکت آصف زرداری کی الطاف حسین سے رحمان ملک میں معیت میں ملاقات ہوچکی ہے۔الطاف حسین سابق صدر پرویز مشرف کے ایک بڑے حامی مانے جاتے ہیں۔

اس ملاقات کے بعد وزیر داخلہ رحمان ملک کا سعودی عرب گئے ہیں جہاں ان کا غیر معمولی پرتپاک استقبال ہوا اور اس کے بعد پرویز مشرف کی بھی سعودی عرب موجودگی اس بات کی طرف اشارہ ہے کہ معاملات طے پانے والے ہیں کیونکہ بعض مبصرین کاکہنا ہے کہ سعودی عرب کے شاہی خاندان کے ممنون احسان نواز شریف کے لیے ان کی کوئی حاکمانہ فرمائش ٹالنا مشکل ہوگا۔ مسلم لیگ قاف کے رہنما مشاہد حسین کاکہنا ہے کہ یہ ’فرمائشی‘ کال بس آیا ہی چاہتی ہے۔

مقتدرحلقے وزیراعظم یوسف رضا گیلانی اور وزیر اعلی پنجاب شہباز شریف سے مطمئن دکھائی دیتے ہیں

اگر ایک لمحے کے لیے یہ فرض کرلیا جائے کہ کردار کشی کی مہم کے پس پردہ نہ تو سو فی صد پیپلزپارٹی ہے اور نہ ہی پرویز مشرف کو بچانے کی کوششیں ہیں تو پھر اس نواز مخالف میڈیا مہم کا مقصد ڈھونڈنا اور مشکل ہوجاتا ہے۔

مبصرین کا کہنا ہے کہ سوات آپریشن کے سلسلے میں اپنا وزن پیپلز پارٹی کے پلڑے میں ڈال دینے اور فرینڈلی اپوزیشن کے خطاب حاصل کرلینے کے بعد اگرچہ نواز شریف کا ایک جارح باغی لیڈر کا امیج دھندلا سا گیا ہے لیکن ابھی تک اسٹیبلشمنٹ نواز شریف پراس طرح کا اعتماد کرنے کو تیار نہیں ہے جیسا کہ انہیں ماضی میں حاصل رہا ہے۔

پاکستان میں جو لوگ اسٹیبلشمنٹ کی ریشہ دوانیوں سے تھوڑے بہت بھی آگاہ ہیں وہ جانتے ہیں کہ اسٹیبلشمنٹ کے کچھ حلقے ہمیشہ بے نظیر بھٹو کو سیکیورٹی رسک قراردیتے رہے ہیں اور ان کے بعد اب یہ ’اعزاز‘ صرف صدر آصف زرداری کو حاصل ہے۔ نواز شریف اگرچہ اس ’عہدے‘ پر فائز نہیں ہوئے ہیں لیکن ان کی ضدی طبعیت اسٹیبلشمنٹ کےلیے اب خطرے کی گھنٹی بجانے لگی ہے۔

ایک طویل عرصے تک مارشل لاء کی سختیاں برداشت کرنے والی پاکستانی قوم جب بھی ملک میں بڑھتا ہوا سیاسی انتشار دیکھتی ہے تو وہ ایک نئے مارشل لاء کا خوف محسوس کرنے لگتی ہے۔

پیپلز پارٹی اور مسلم لیگ دونوں ہی اس نکتے پر تو متفق ہیں کہ ایسی کسی بھی صورتحال سے باہمی اختلافات بھلا کر نبٹا جائے گا۔خود فوجی قیادت بھی ملکی حالات کی وجہ سے بظاہر ایسے کسی ایڈونچر کے لیے تیار نظر نہیں آتی۔ کچھ دوسرے مقتدرحلقے بھی وزیراعظم یوسف رضا گیلانی اور وزیر اعلی پنجاب شہباز شریف سے مطمئن دکھائی دیتے ہیں لیکن بعض مبصرین کاکہنا ہے کہ اسٹیبلشمنٹ کی مطلب براری کا ایک درمیانی راستہ بھی ہوسکتا ہے جو مائنیس ون سے بڑھ کر اب مائنیس ٹو فارمولے ہوچکا ہے

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Baboos grab the bounty... Ansar Abbasi exposes corruption in the civil bureaucracy in Pakistan, in the top most echelon BS-22...

Baboos grab the bounty

Friday, November 14, 2008

By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: In a blatant case of self-serving and conflict of interest, the top members of the civil bureaucracy, federal secretaries and officers of BS-22 have secretly ganged up to grab as many high-priced residential plots in Islamabad as is possible and have quietly got all the orders passed from a confused government.

They have moved summaries, passed orders and done everything unnoticed at a time when the government is in the midst of a serious economic crunch and facing political uncertainty. Taking advantage of the dysfunctional atmosphere of the present regime, because of all sorts of crises it is facing, federal secretaries have recently got approval from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to acquire the right for the BS-22 officers to apply for an extra government house measuring 500 square yards, in addition to the two residential plots that they are entitled to get in the federal capital.

Additionally, the BS-22 officers have also manipulated from the prime minister a waiver to the condition of a minimum two years of service in BS-22 to become eligible for getting an additional 500 square meter residential plot in the capital.

With these changes already notified, now if a bureaucrat gets promotion to BS-22 and retires the same day or the next day, he would get additional residential plots of 500 sq yd in Islamabad. Previously, at least two years of service in the BS-22 was required to become eligible.

Under changed terms and conditions, the likes of principal secretary to the prime minister, principal secretary to the president, secretary housing, secretary information and many others have become eligible for additional residential plots.

In another case, the housing facility that was started last year for civil servants in BS-17 to BS-21, belonging to different occupations groups, have now been extended to federal secretaries, who have already been issued offer letters to apply for the 500 sq yds house.

The spokesman of the housing ministry when contacted confirmed that the two-year service condition in BS-22 has been waived by the prime minister. In another case, the spokesman, however, said BS-22 officers were eligible to apply for a house even from day one when the policy was announced. The offer letters, the spokesman acknowledged, have been issued to federal secretaries recently in the present regime.

However, an honourable federal secretary confided to this correspondent that the top bureaucrats are now discussing the option of taking up the matter with the prime minister to alter the provision of house with a plot because the former option would involve years-long instalments while the latter would get them a quick return by selling the land immediately. In other words, if any officer is promoted to BPS-22, he would become a multi-millionaire the same day.

Moreover, a summary has been moved to the prime minister to get a quiet approval for the allotment of additional plots to even re-employed federal secretaries. The proposal also contains a list of at least nine retired federal secretaries, including some of those who retired after attaining superannuation.

Thus, any retired officer if ever re-employed becomes a multi-millionaire the same day. These names include Iftikhar Rashid, ex-chairman Pemra; Syed Mohib Asad, ex-member federal public service commission; Younis Khan, ex-auditor general of Pakistan; Tariq Farooq, ex-member federal services tribunal; Rashid Mehmud Ansar, member FST; Kamal Asfar, ex-chairman State Life Insurance; Nasiruddin Ahmad, member Nepra; Maj (retd) Muhammad Durrani, chairman Balochistan public service commission; and Khalid Mehmud, Chairman PEVTA.

In 2006, the government had announced an additional package of perks, including special pay at the rate of 20 per cent; post-retirement lifetime facility of driver/orderly; and one residential plot (in addition to the one allotted through the federal government employees housing scheme) to only those BS-22 officers, both serving and retired, who would be officiating as administrative head of the federal ministries and divisions for two years.

At that stage no other BS-22 officer belonging to any of the central superior services, including the secretariat group in which the officers are promoted as federal secretaries, were allowed this package if they were not heading a federal ministry or division. Neither the special secretaries nor the secretary generals were allowed.

But later the terms and conditions were revised to include all the grade 22 officers, the special secretaries and also the secretary generals amongst the class of bureaucrats, who were allowed the package. Since at that time all the blue-eyed re-employed federal secretaries, secretary generals and even special secretaries were given an additional plots but later the re-employed secretaries, etc., were excluded from the special class of bureaucrats. But now the effort is to reverse that decision too.

Generally, the bureaucracy did not welcome the top-Baboos specific package and protested after which the then-government decided to offer houses to all BS-17 and BS-21 CSS officers. It was decided that later this scheme would be extended to ex-cadre (non CSS) government servants too.

But now the BS-22 officers, belonging to different occupational groups, have also been included in this housing scheme. While the top bureaucrats have successfully manoeuvred to get at least two residential plots and one house in Islamabad, there are quite a few, who have even four and even more plots in Islamabad, all allotted by the government under different schemes. (The News)
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Pakistan needs good bureaucrats like this one....

The Jhang model
Saturday, November 01, 2008

The extraordinary feats achieved by a mid-level government official, who served for some years as the DCO Jhang, have not received sufficient notice. The innovative bureaucrat, who has now rather tragically quit government service for personal reasons, had devised a system using which he was, to a very great extent, able to eliminate corruption in his district. Through a painstaking system of record keeping and the daily submission of details regarding property sales or purchase, he had been able to cut corruption in the Revenue Department, a virtual hot-bed of vice. The same initiatives had been extended to hospitals and other spheres. Citizens in one of the most backward districts of Punjab are vocal in the praise of the positive impact made by these measures.

Some DCOs are believed to have attempted similar exercises in their own areas, with varying degree of success. But the Jhang model has not been enforced on a larger scale. Following a report in this publication, the Punjab chief minister had ordered the former DCO's methods to be adopted throughout the province, but this has not happened. We must hope the CM will look into the reasons for this failing. The fact that so much was achieved to tackle malpractice by one man working alone proves to all of us that it is indeed possible to tackle corruption. What is needed is dedication and honest resolve. Sadly, this is too often lacking in our system of governance. Somehow or the other, more effort needs to be made to build a similar spirit so that more districts can walk down the path chalked out so meticulously in Jhang. (The News)

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Punjab to emulate Jhang model

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday ordered immediate implementation of the incredible ‘Jhang model’ administration in all the districts of the province to reduce corruption and improve service delivery, through citizens’ feedback, in the otherwise inefficient and corrupt departments of revenue, police, health and others.

Shahbaz Sharif, taking notice of last week’s report in The News on the wonders of DCO Jhang Zubair K Bhatti, issued these orders following a presentation given to him by the talented officer, who interestingly has forwarded his resignation from the government service citing personal reasons.

Sources close to the officer, however, say that inadequate compensation package is the reason for the officer’s decision to quit the government job and join the private sector.

Sources said that Shahbaz Sharif, who is an exception amongst the country’s top politicians for his faith in good governance and the rule of law, tried to persuade the officer to review his decision to leave the government job and also offered him special pay package but Bhatti said that he had given his word to a private organisation that he would be joining soon.

This mid-career bureaucrat has done wonders in a Punjab district by remarkably reducing corruption in the otherwise most corrupt revenue department’s registry offices, amongst the Patwaris, in the government hospitals etc., by simply asking the concerned officials to submit daily the list of all property transactions registered with mobile numbers of both sellers and buyers, the total amount of taxes due and other basic details of transactions.

Similar orders were given to Patwaris in cases where fard were given. The clerks of the revenue department were told that the officer would personally call all these citizens on their mobile phone to find out if they were asked to pay any bribe or commission above and beyond the taxes due, if any. He did the same and within a few weeks’ time, things changed miraculously as far as getting of a fard or intiqal done and the registration of property was concerned.

Bhatti talks to different buyers of the property or those getting fard or intiqal in the district or those treated/ operated in the government hospital or those getting domicile/ birth/death certificates etc on their mobile numbers to know if they had paid only the taxes due or were also forced to grease the right palms. He also presented to the chief minister voluminous record of different district departments along with the mobile numbers of citizens who had interacted with any official agency, with an offer to contact the ordinary souls on any of the given mobile numbers to see a change in service delivery in the Jhang district.

The threat of personal and intimate feedback communicated directly to the DCO and the possibility of anti-corruption action had a massively deterrent effect, the DCO said, adding that when he made calls and asked about the quality of service, he generally found out that petty hassles had mostly been eliminated.

The chief minister in his order said that not only the Zubair Bhatti model would be implemented in all the districts of the province but would also be expanded. The officer, in his presentation, had proposed the following steps to be taken to scale up and institutionalize this feedback to tackle petty corruption.

1. Identification of interactions: All interactions at field level by various departments need to be identified that could be amenable to such feedback.

2. The following are some possibilities. Departments should be asked to come up with such interactions with officials.

DCO Office

i. Getting a domicile

ii. Getting arms licence

iii. Getting NOC for petrol pumps

Police

i. Registering an FIR

ii. Follow-up on investigation and submission of challans

iii. Getting a driving licence

iv. Getting NOC for various security purposes

v. Payment of tickets for traffic fines

Health

i. Getting a medico-legal certificate

ii. Getting an operation done in DHQ, THQ and most importantly an RHC: Have doctors charged for services? Have they promoted their private practice?

iii. Charge of purchee fee: Have excess funds been charged?

iv. All recruitments: Have any funds, small or large, changed hands

Revenue Department

i. Both parties to a revenue case: Has the reader been charging? Is the copying clerk doing his work properly? Has the presiding officer been directly getting the money? Has the lawyer spoken to the plaintiff or the defendant that the presiding officer has to be paid?

ii. Getting a fard

iii. Getting an intiqal done

iv. Registering a property

Live Stock Department

i. Has the doctor or the dispenser charged extra for the service or the medicines?

Excise and Taxation Department

i. Registration of vehicles

ii. Assessment and payment of property taxes

Education Department

i. All transfers and postings

ii. All recruitments

Local Government

i. Registering births, deaths, and nikah.

He also suggested development of reporting formats for each interaction: for example, the reporting format for registration of property should include name, date, property, estimated value, total taxes needed to be paid, the name and cell number of buyer (or any immediate relative who conducted the process of registration); for medico-legal cases, the name of the person, NIC, cell number of the person or a near relative involved in the process of getting a medico-legal done, nature of injury, police station, medical establishment (RHC, THQ, or DHQ) be recorded.

The presentation also sought entry of data submitted everyday in a database, preparation of relevant monitoring reports, monitoring at provincial level, taking action against corrupt elements with clear identification of corruption and corrupt persons.

To begin with, officials of lower grade and officers of grade-17 or 16 responsible for field formations should be the main target of such disciplinary actions. Performance of DCOs and EDOs would also be monitored with reference to reduction in incidents of corruption in their areas of jurisdiction.

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/print3.asp?id=15883
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