1,014 arms licences issued on MPs’ fake signatures cancelled

Daily Times


* Interior secretary tells PAC ministry has imposed complete ban on issuing new licences
ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee on Monday directed the Interior Ministry to submit a report of cancellation of arms licences, which were issued on fake signatures of parliamentarians, to the committee within three months.

Interior Secretary Qamar Zaman Chaudhry informed the committee that the ministry had dug out 1,014 arms licences applications on fake signatures of parliamentarians. After this case, he said the ministry imposed a complete ban on issuing new licences. All licences, which might be issued in the future, would be sent to NADRA for proper verification to make the system more secure. A summary of new arms policy has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, under which new licences will be issued from the secretariat.

The cancellation of licences issued on fake signatures of parliamentarians was in progress and it will take some time, he said, to which the PAC directed the Interior Ministry to submit the report of the cancellation of the licences within three months.

The PAC was informed that the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police had collected Rs 32.533 million under different heads (11 in number) during 2007-08, but the receipts were not deposited in the national exchequer.

The management was utilising such receipts to meet departmental expenses over and above the government budgeted fund without the approval of the Finance Ministry. PAC Chairman Chaudhry Nisar Ali questioned why the Finance Ministry was not improving the system. He said the ministry was always the main cause of financial irregularities. “If the Finance Ministry improves its system, about 70 percent of problems related to financial irregularities/mismanagement would be automatically finished. It is always the auditor general of Pakistan that highlights such issues, while the ministry never does its job,” he said. The interior secretary informed the committee that after being given instructions by the PAC, the collection of fees under different heads was stopped, but the Finance Ministry never provided adequate funds. He claimed that these funds were utilised for public welfare and the general people would suffer. Nisar formed a committee, including the finance secretary, interior secretary, auditor general of Pakistan, IG Islamabad, and himself. The committee will hold informal discussion over the issue so as to resolve it permanently. Nisar said that wrongdoers would not be protected, adding that no person from any government service should be allowed to go away if he/she commits isappropriation/irregularities.

About the Pakistan Rangers, he said the former rangers DG was very controversial and claimed that the unit was mainly used for political purposes. He said the role of the rangers was always under emphasised and said that due credit should be given to the unit. About misappropriation by the rangers, he said the PAC wanted financial rules in every government department. “Millions of rupees were deposited by different forces and ministries in the national exchequer,” he said.

KESC sacking: Committee formed to resolve issue

Tribune

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Friday announced the formation of a four-member committee to resolve the issue of the sacking of over 4,000 employees Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC).

Protests by the sacked employees continued for the second consecutive day today while police and rangers stood guard outside the power company’s office. Protestors also staged demonstration at Sir Abdullah Haroon road.

Meanwhile, KESC Labour Union Chairman Ikhlaq Ahmed, while speaking to the media, said that the protests will continue until the sacked workers’ demands are met.

A meeting will be held at the Governor House today to try and resolve the issue. The meeting will also be attended by officials from KESC.

Updated from print edition (below)

Cutting costs: KESC workers bite the hand that gave the golden handshake

A nightmare unfolded for Karachi’s electricity supply company on Thursday barely hours after it sacked over 4,000 workers. Hundreds of them showed up fuming at its Gizri headquarters, attacked the building, burnt cars and damaged several others.

The mayhem broke loose at about 11 am when the protesters pelted the building with stones, breaking its glass, setting at least two cars ablaze and damaging 113 others after looting them. By 1 pm labour union leaders had started giving speeches.

Some attempt was made to protect the building as security guards had concealed the entrances. By the time the protesters were done, office papers and documents were scattered around the main premises. The workers used a nearby building as a toilet and trade unionists arranged rugs for them so they could sit and protest.

In a press release, the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) said that “hundreds of goonda elements” forced their way into the office buildings. “They captured employees inside as their hostages and physically attacked the top management officials on duty,” it said. “[They] ransacked equipment and property and torched the vehicles.”

Frantic phone calls were made to the police and other law-enforcement agencies. But according to KESC, “they stood there watching the scene as silent spectators and did not act even after hours of the start of the attack”. While talking to The Express Tribune, a well-placed KESC official, who did not want to give his name, said they had received serious threats from the agitators. Some threats were made that load dispatch centres would be attacked, which could affect the entire supply system.

The situation turned ugly when some trade union leaders claimed that KESC itself had “planted agitators” amidst the lines of “peacefully protesting” workers. Akhlaque Ahmed and Lateef Mughal said that KESC wanted to “defame” them as “law breakers”. At the protest, leaders of the trade unions said that they would not go home until the retrenchment orders were withdrawn.

A KESC official said that they would “100 per cent” register criminal cases.

For their part, the Peoples Workers Union said that they would move the high court on Friday against the retrenchments. The labour union (CBA) said that they were already in court about the matter.

KESC has maintained that the move was “unavoidable”. Its performance had been badly compromised. It had announced a Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) to 4,500 of its non-management staff and workmen engaged in non-core functions, such as drivers, office attendants, security guards, sanitary workers, etc. Prior to the recent retrenchments, there were 17,000 employees, said a KESC official, adding that a majority of them had failed to perform properly. Some of them were drawing high salaries, up to Rs50,000 for just being drivers.

When The Express Tribune tried to interview the protesters they declined to give their names. Some of them said they were not sacked, but were there to support the protesters. KESC CEO Tabish Gauhar issued a late-night statement saying that he condemned the agitation by the labour union (CBA) and their destruction of KESC’s property. KESC welcomed Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussein’s appeal for a peaceful resolution of the issue through negotiations.

KESC has engaged with MQM deputy convener Dr Farooq Sattar. Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, the United Workers Front’s Nabeel Ahmed Khan said that on December 31, KESC had introduced its scheme but the workers had not found it attractive. He called the protest and the damage done “a natural process” given that 4,500 workers were “forced” out.