| Big hunt against the corrupt haunts PPP |
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| Wednesday, December 12, 2007 |
ISLAMABAD: No one in the PPP leadership has an answer or even wants to discuss one key question: what will happen to scores of corruption references filed by the PPP against members of the Musharraf regime during the past many years?
All these references/complain ts "” 50 in total "” were filed with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the instructions of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto when she was in self-exile. The references were against many ministers, Army generals and powerful officials and the PPP leader had claimed many times in her speeches and statements that her party would conduct strict accountability of all these corrupt people when it comes to power.
The PPP filed 14 references in 2006; 11 in 2005; 10 in 2004; and 15 in between 2000 and 2004. These references/complain ts included those against National Commission for Human Development Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf, former law minister Wasi Zafar, National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain, the stock market crash, Pakistan Steel Mills, ISI appointments and many others.
The list includes: reference against Nasim Ashraf (Mar 10), allotment of DHA plots (May 11), OPF housing scheme (May 15), Badshahi mosque (May 23), Kamra grid stations (June 6), ISI appointments (June 23), locomotive scam (June 28), Wasi Zafar (July 27), multi-million dollar scam to hit railways (July 29), National Assembly speaker (Aug 4), stock market crash (Aug 8), Brig Taj ñ ISI (Aug 10), Pakistan Steel Mills (Oct 15) and black cab (Oct 21).
In 2005, the PPP filed 11 references including misuse of official powers ñ Lt-Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia (Mar 26), alleged corruption ñ Lt-Gen (retd) Javed Nasir (May 3), allegations of fake degrees ñ Aamir Liaquat Hussain, minister (May 13), Khoski Sugar Mill (June 9), Gen Zarar Azim (July 4), Port Qasim Authority (July 11), allegations of land grab by Sheikh Rashid (July 19), Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad (Aug 1), SAF games (Aug 11), weapons purchase (Sept 9) and oil scandal (Nov 27).
In 2004, the PPP filed 10 complaints and references with the NAB which included irregularities in mobile phone bids/tender, land grab in Thatta, billion rupees land grab in Lahore, billions of dollars exchange scandal, billions of rupees irregularities in defence budget, irregularities in purchase of Boeing 777 aircraft by the PIA, billions of rupees loan write-off, misuse of $14 million USAID, millions of rupees loan write-off and wheat scandal.
During 2000 up to 2002, the PPP filed 15 references including letter to chief justice SCOP against NAB/ETPB chief, use of privatisation proceeds ñ secrets, billions of rupees loss in Army's truck deal, non-transparent award of IslamabadñPeshawar motorway contract, misuse of secret funds of information ministry, discrepancies in purchase of Boeing 777 aircraft by the PIA, Irregularities in allocation of deep sea licences, Pakistan diplomat living in luxury in Washington, PIA passengers offloaded in Riyadh, proposed sale of stakes in the PTCL, billions of rupees embezzlement in MES, billions of rupees irregularities in defence land deals, irregularities in MES accounts/Bahria town, financial irregularities by NDFC chairman and gas connections favour to cement company.
But now these references are turning out to be a big embarrassment for the party and its leadership. One such case, recently highlighted, is of Lt-Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia, who has joined the PPP with a fanfare and will probably get the PPP ticket from Lahore but against whom the reference filed by the PPP with the NAB is still pending.
Even PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar has no ready response on the issue, as he was found speechless when asked what Benazir Bhutto would do with the reference against Tauqir Zia and all other corruption references.
Babar, who was the brain behind the reference against Lt-Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia, is now confused and non-committed but he was the one who released all details of the reference to journalists at the media office of the party on April 7, 2005.
Babar told The News that he could not say whether Gen Tauqir would face the long arms of the law. None of the other PPP leaders have a clue to how to defend Zia's induction in the party. Almost all PPP leaders contacted by this correspondent wanted that their names should not be mentioned and refused to comment. Lt-Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia himself told The News that he was not aware of any reference filed against him by the PPP and, thus, he would not make any comment. |
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