The NEWS November 3rd, 2012 Islamabad

Extensive corruption in the ‘icon of excellence’, the National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP), which is widely regarded as corruption-free, has touched the acme of massive misuse of luxury vehicles. 

NH&MP Inspector General Zafar Abbas Lak, his family members and close relatives are using at least ten most lavish and pricey vehicles that include Land Cruisers, Land Rovers and other expensive automobiles. Icing on the cake is that they consume fuel from the NH&MP coffers.

 The communication ministry high-ups including secretary, additional secretary, deputy secretary, joint secretaries, former IGs and other top authorities have in their possession two luxury vehicles each for their personal and family use. Some of the retired IGs are still using NH&MP vehicles considering it as their prerogative.

 Almost all officers using NH&MP vehicles refuse to accept that they are committing any wrong.

 NH&MP Inspector General Zafar Abbas Lak, when contacted, confirmed the report, saying, “Yes, vehicles of NH&MP are being misused. However, I have ordered the concerned officials to impound the vehicles misused by the officers of the Communication Ministry, retired police officers and unconcerned persons.”

 The IG accepted that top bureaucrats of the Ministry of Communication were using vehicles of NH&MP, saying, “High-ups including bureaucrats of the ministry of the ranks of joint secretary and above are using motorway’s vehicles.” When asked under which law, they were misusing the resources of the Motorway Police, the IG said that it was practice of the past but he would stop the tradition.

 A report disclosed that the communication minister, secretary communication, additional secretary, deputy secretary, joint secretaries, former IGs and other authorities are in possession of two luxury vehicles for their personal and their family use. Some of the IGs, who have retired from service, are still using the NH&MP vehicles as their prerogative.

 Almost all officers using NH&MP vehicles as their prerogative, refused to accept that they were wrong. While the spokesman, straightaway, denied the report when contacted by ‘The News’ to know the point of view of the NH&MP. However, he said that the NH&MP inspector general has ordered confiscation of all vehicles under the use of unauthorised officers.

 Sources in the Ministry of Communication have revealed that there was massive misuse and plundering of human and physical resources of the National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP). They revealed that the situation is graver in the Motorway Police, as almost 50 of its expensive Parados and Vegos have been doled out unlawfully to senior bureaucrats of the ministry, and former senior police officers of the department. The department, which is termed as the ‘island of excellence’ and ‘corruption-free’ by the national and international observers, has now been victim of the institutional decay, the misuse of resources provided from the taxpayers money, which has been termed the hallmark of the present regime everywhere.

 It has been learnt from various sources of the Ministry of Communication that the controlling ministry itself was involved in this gross violation and plundering, as Secretary Communication Anwar Ahmed Khan, Additional Secretary Saifullah Chattha, Joint Secretaries Jodat Ayyaz and Faiz Mehmood Faizi, have all taken 1800cc Toyota Altis cars from the Motor Transport (MT) Pool of the Motorway Police along with official police drivers.

 Additional Secretary Saifullah Chattha, when contacted, denied that he was misusing motorway’s vehicles, saying: “I have only one authorised car.” JS Jodat Ayyaz, when contacted by this correspondent, neither responded on his mobile phone nor replied on SMS. JS Faiz Mohammad Faizi, when contacted, denied that he was misusing any vehicle, saying that he has only one car, which was authorised by the government.

 Joint Secretary Mathar Niaz Rana, received the monetisation, purchased the staff car under his use at book value, utilised the Motorway Police luxury car during his tenure but took away the driver, a patrolling officer, when recently transferred to the Balochistan Police.

 When contacted Joint Secretary Mathar Niaz Rana denied charges.

 Under the law, these top bureaucrats and also the beneficiaries of the ‘vehicle monetisation scheme’, therefore, are not authorised either to take staff cars and drivers or to take vehicles and official drivers from their attached departments.

 It is worth mentioning under the recently introduced ‘vehicle monetisation scheme’ BS-21 and BS-22 bureaucrats are getting Rs96,000 and Rs65,000 for the maintenance of their personal vehicles in lieu of the staff cars. It was learnt that the federal secretary communication, additional secretary, joint secretaries are all ‘double beneficiaries’ and enjoying monetisation as well as snatched cars of the attached departments. The federal government has monetised the staff cars facility for BS-20 to BS-22 officers but the facility has been grossly misused by all ministries and divisions where bureaucrats are using the vehicles of their attached departments and also pocketing the huge sum along with their salaries.

 Further investigation by this scribe revealed that ever since the incumbent IGP has taken over the reign of the department, the motorway vehicles, instead of being used for patrolling duties on national highways and motorways, are being grossly misused by non-authorised bureaucrats, retired officers and even friends and cohorts of the IGP. Dozens of official drivers in police uniform are working outside with retired or private persons. It is worth mentioning that a police driver costs Rs25,000 to 50,000 to the department every month.

 One retired IGP of the AJK, who has never served in the Motorway Police, is keeping a sub-inspector driver of the department for 10 years, and the irony is that the same driver is basically a patrolling officer, who instead of patrolling on highways is safeguarding the house of the retired officer. It was learnt that the same driver also managed to get annual cash reward from the department.

 Sources revealed the IGP himself is keeping about 10 vehicles at his and his family members’ disposal. However, the tragic part is that a close friend of the top officer, was utilising the Vego 1800cc in Sargodha from the MT Pool, Islamabad, of the Motorway Police with free fuel for quite some time. An official in the MT Pool, when asked, confirmed but refused to provide any record saying that the electronic evidence of use of fuel at Sargodha was available.

 Further investigations revealed that former IGPs Dr. Waseem Kausar, Zafrullah Khan and Wajid Durrani are all keeping two luxury vehicles each as well as police drivers even after retirement. It is interesting that former IGP Motorway Police Dr. Waseem Kausar and ex-IGP Wajid Durrani have later been hired in the NAB, therefore, they must be enjoying perks and privileges of the NAB as well. The former is DG NAB Sindh whereas the latter is Advisor to the Chairman NAB.

 Former IGP Wajid Khan Durrani, when contacted by this correspondent for his comments, confirmed that he was using NH&MP vehicles despite his retirement and later joined NAB. He said, “I am using NH&MP vehicles under rules.” Durrani, when asked he was with the NAB and using vehicles of NH&MP, said: “Yes, I am using Motorway Police vehicles despite my retirement from the police service.” When asked is it legal, the former IGP said, “I am not sure but according to the rules of Sindh government, even a retired DIG can keep one vehicle for his personal use after retirement.”

 While former IGP Dr. Waseem Kausar in his comments said he was not misusing any vehicle.

 Former IG Zafarullah Khan, when contacted by ‘The News’, said that he always followed rules. He said that he had one car of NH&MP for his use but he has given it back.

 Acting DIG (Headquarters) Nisar Ahmed Siroya, when contacted, denying misuse of NH&MP vehicles, said that he has only one car, adding that he has nothing to do with the issue of misuse of vehicles.

 AIG Jan Mohammad (Tele & Transport), responsible for issuing vehicles to the unconcerned officers and who is the supervisory in-charge of the Motor Transport Pool, didn’t respond despite repeated calls on his mobile phone. He also failed to give a reply to the SMS to seek his comments. However, his staff, when asked, said that the AIG was on ex-Pakistan leave.

 The most interesting situation was reported from the Motorway Police Zonal Office, Lahore, that an SSP, who had proceeded to the USA for a five-year degree programme under the Fulbright Scholarship Scheme, is still keeping for over one year an 1800cc car at his disposal, along with official driver and fuel supply from the Motorway Police.

 Upon enquiry, it was revealed by sources that on an average a car requires Rs25,000 for its fuel, POL and maintenance charges, so the annual expenditure could be calculated easily.

 In another case, a staff officer of the DIG Lahore Motorway, has been found misusing the official vehicles — IDP-3093 — in objectionable circumstances. He was transferred from the post after he was caught red-handed, but no action has been taken against him.

 When DIG Central Zone Rai Altaf Hussain was approached for his comments, first, he expressed reluctance to comment on the issue and referred this correspondent to the spokesman of the Motorway Police. Later, he talked to ‘The News,’ saying that he was authorised to use two vehicles and denied that he was misusing the vehicles of NH&MP.

 Another aspect, which came up during investigation, was that the Motorway Police used IDP series for number plates, which could easily be replaced with fake number plates by the delinquent officers for misuse, as these vehicles were not registered with the Excise Office, Islamabad, or in provincial capitals. No one could confirm that why these vehicles were not properly registered.

 The concerned authorities dealing with the matter, when contacted by this correspondent, confirmed that the NH&MP didn’t get registered their vehicles and violating Section 24 of the Motor Vehicle Registration Ordinance. “The NH&MP is depriving millions of rupees every year by violating the law of registration of vehicles in the shape of registration fee, wealth tax and yearly token money,” the officer said, and added that the NH&MP were using fake numbers without any reason.

 Sources revealed that the misuse of official vehicles is an open secret and could be verified from the PSO Fuel Cards as it maintains the electronic evidence of all refuelling.