News
Monday, April 15, 2013
SC exposing corruption of PPP leaders since March 2009By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: Though the five-year tenure of the Pakistan People’s Party-led government has ended last month but corruption cases against its two former prime ministers, Yousaf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, are still echoing in the Supreme Court’s premises.
The superior courts proceedings related to corruption cases against the PPP leaders, especially the two former two premiers, have been dominant since March 2009. One section of lawyers believes that due to the intervention of the superior courts, billions of rupees of public money has been recovered in these high-profile scams. Whenever media highlighted corruption in the government’s departments, the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) took notice and initiated proceedings regarding the recovery of public money.
On the other hand, the PPP leaders who were running the government failed to alter the public perception regarding their alleged involvement in corruption cases; therefore the PPP is facing a big challenge in the upcoming elections campaign. It has been witnessed that severe irregularities and corruption have been exposed by the apex court in different matters, including Hajj scandal, rental power projects’ contract (RPPs), Rs 7 billion scandal regarding the allocation of ephedrine quota, Rs 82 billion corruption in the tenure of former OGRA chairman Tauqir Sadiq, Rs 5.34 billion National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) land scandal, Rs 54 billion embezzlement in ISAF containers’ scandal and severe irregularities in the PIA.
During the hearing of Pakistan Steel Mills scam, the Supreme Court was informed that the PSM has incurred Rs 25 billion loss since 2008. The court also ordered the FIA to arrest former media adviser of former prime minister Gilani Khurram Rasool Butt, who was allegedly involved in mega corruption in the allocation of LPG quota.
Three Pakistan People’s Party senior leaders who are in charge of the party campaign across the country are facing a tough time in corruption cases. Former prime minister Gilani is involved in the Hajj case. Former premier and his successor Raja Pervez Ashraf is accused in the rental power projects scandal and former commerce minister Amin Fahim is accused in the NICL scandal.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) is hearing suo motu notice of corruption in two mega projects approved during the tenure of former prime ministers Yousaf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf. In the last week, the court has directed the director general (DG) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to immediately seize the entire record of pending applications and marketing licences issued to CNG stations since 2008 from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) in order to forestall expunging of alleged wrongdoing in files. Hearing of the case will resume today (Monday).
NRO: The SC on December 16, 2009 set aside NRO, which had granted amnesty to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats who were accused of corruption, embezzlement, money laundering, murderer, and terrorism between January 1, 1986, and October 12, 1999. Due to the SC’s verdict, corruption cases against several PPP leaders were restored and they again appeared in accountability courts.
Hajj scam: In 2010, the court took up notice regarding the irregularities in Hajj arrangements and former federal minister of religious affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi was detained in this case. The investigation of this matter is still going on because Investigating Officer Hussain Asghar was transferred from FIA but due to the SC’s direction, Hussain Asghar has been reposted in FIA in last year. The court on April 9 also issued notice to Yousaf Raza Gilani.
RPPs scandal: The SC heard the application filed by senior politicians Faisal Saleh Hayat and Khawaja Asif regarding billions of rupees corruption in the award of RPPs. In view of NAB’s investigation report, the court on January 15 directed the Bureau to arrest prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and other persons involved in the scandal.
NICL: The SC has also initiated proceedings for the recovery of looted money in NICL land scam. Former deputy prime minister’s son Moonis Elahi was arrested by FIA in this case in 2011. Likewise, PPP senior leader and former commerce minister Amin Fahin is also accused in the NICL scam.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk