This is reference to reported remarks by CJP while hearing a case on 24 October 2018, pertaining to gross irregularity committed by CDA allowing construction of commercial plaza on land allocated for public swimming pool in F-6 during tenure of former chairman CDA Kamran Lashari. Your newspaper also carried this report.
If such daring abuse of power and irregularities were committed by civil bureaucrats and is in knowledge of SC of Pakistan and other concerned departments including NAB, FIA and other sensitive agencies why has the State failed to take punitive action against such civil servants, when it has done the same against elected public office holders such as PM or CM etc. Why this double standards?
Pakistan is currently under strict scrutiny by FATF, facing danger of being blacklisted, accompanied with economic sanctions, yet bureaucrats heading FBR, SECP, FIA, State Bank etc are unwilling to implement laws in existence to check money laundering, fake bank accounts and financial transactions of UN proscribed individuals and extremist organizations. It is common knowledge that black economy and terrorism financing is parked in real estate business, yet no efforts have been made to bring them into documented tax net.
There is no rocket science involved that serving or retired civil and uniformed bureaucrats who own assets abroad have transferred their legal and illegal money through irregular channels. Unless severe punishment is given to serve as deterrence to those retired bureaucrats who live beyond their means or own properties abroad, Pakistan’s economy will continue to bleed and this country will face economic sanctions just because of greed of few public office holders.
GULL ZAMAN,
Peshawar, October 28.