Free ride: 76 PML-N affiliates costing Rs20m to Punjab govt

Tribune
These people were appointed after approval by the Chief Minister's secretariat.

LAHORE: As the Punjab government abolishes 550 posts to save Rs6 billion annually in expenditures, 76 people connected with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) continue to work as coordinators, chairpersons of task forces and media consultants in various departments and institutions, causing a financial burden of above Rs20 million annually to the provincial government.

An official requesting anonymity told that these appointed men are enjoying perks and privileges without making any remarkable contribution to government business.

Among them, 49 are consultants, 17 chairpersons of task forces of various departments and 10 are media consultants in the Information Culture and Youth Affairs (IC&YA) department to look after media management of the government.

Since July 2009, the Punjab government has appointed ruling party office-bearers and workers, 49 of them, as coordinators in various departments and teaching hospitals to assist officials in improving performance and service delivery to the masses. Of these 49, 11 are offered salaries, allowances, vehicles, petrol, lubricant and oil, office with telephone facilities. Their salaries range between Rs20,000 and 75,000 per month. They are also provided between 150 and 200 litres of fuel per month. The remaining 38 are working on a honorary basis.

These individuals are enjoying perks associated with their posts without making any contribution to government affairs. Since June 2008, the Punjab government led by Shahbaz Sharif constituted 28 task forces in different departments, which were assigned various responsibilities including recommending proposals for the promotion of good governance and merit in the public sector. The purpose of establishing these task forces was to save public funds likely to be utilised on offices of provincial ministers.

The government, after approval by the chief minister’s secretariat, appointed some elected parliamentarians, party office bearers, like-minded businessmen, retired bureaucrats and technocrats as chairpersons of these task forces. All chairmen were given official vehicles, offices, telephones and manpower to complete the assigned tasks. Of these appointed people, 11 were offered salary packages ranging between Rs75,000 and Rs2,25,000. In addition, they were also offered travelling allowance/daily allowance at par with BS-20 officers.

However in August 2010, after analysing the poor performance and casual attitude of the chairpersons, the Punjab government abolished 11 task forces on the directions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, an official said. But despite that, 17 people continue to enjoy benefits as chairpersons of various bodies.

An official said that the provincial government can save Rs20 million if it terminates contracts of these 76 people.

MQM workers join hands with sacked KESC workers

The Nation

Karachi Electricity Supply Company (KESC) closed down its administrative offices as protest against the sacking of thousands of workers continued here on Friday.

KESC authorities said that they had to shut their offices to ensure security of their workers.

An MQM rally comprising hundreds of people joined the protesting workers of the KESC in their sit-in in front of the company’s head office at Gizri, reported a private TV channel.

Addressing the suspended workers, Labor Union leaders announced that the sit-in would continue till their restoration.

Meanwhile, several workers fell ill due to severe cold conditions they had to face during the sit-in last night.

MQM press conference: ‘Shia members targeted’

Tribune

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has highlighted a worrying trend in the current spate of target killings in the city according to which party workers belonging to the Shia sect are being singled out.

Addressing a press conference at Nine Zero — the party’s headquarters — on Sunday, Rabita Committee member Wasay Jalil said a grand conspiracy was in the works against the party aiming to terrorise its Shia workers and divide Sindh, especially its urban centres, on sectarian lines.

Jalil said many similar attempts had been made in the past, where people belonging to the Shia, Deobandi and Barelvi groups were killed. “But all such attempts failed to divide the people on religious lines.” However, this time the conspirators had adopted a new strategy, the MQM leader said.

Jalil said conspirators were deliberately killing office bearers of the party on purely religious lines in order to provoke a new wave — a more violent one — of sectarian violence in the city.

He believes the conspiracy began with the cold-blooded murder of the party’s Sindh Assembly member, Raza Haider, on August 2, 2010 in Nazimabad.

“Since that day, there has been a manifold increase in the killing of our workers on religious lines.”

He said the murders of Nazimabad joint sector incharge Adil Jafri on January 3 and senior activist Yawar Abbas on January 8 in PIB Colony were recent examples of the conspiracy. Another activist Asim Abbas from Hyderabad was battling for his life at a hospital.

While some people ‘shamefully’ blame the party for target killings, he asked, “Who is targeting our workers on clearly religious lines?” He urged authorities to take notice of the killings and immediately nab the killers.

Speaking with The Express Tribune, Jalil said authorities had nabbed two suspects involved in the Raza Haider assassination. Authorities had informed the party through unofficial channels that terrorists belonging to the proscribed Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan were targeting them, he said. “Extremists are after us.”

Without naming Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza, Wasay said the party would wait and see what steps the provincial government would take to improve the law and order situation. “We will highlight our concerns with the chief minister as well,” he added.

MQM claims that more than 200 people, who were either their workers, sympathisers or office bearers were killed last year and already three of their activists have been killed in the current year.