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Supreme Court inundated with corruption cases, solved and unsolved
January 07, 2011
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Many cases of morbidity of rampant corruption have gone unnoticed and unpunished, (even un-investigated) in Pakistan’s history, be these the billions worth of cooperative societies scandals against Chaudhry clan of Gujrat, in 90s era, money laundering cases against Sharif Brothers’ Hadibia paper Mills, Augusta sub-marines’ commission scandal against President Asif Ali Zardari and top military brass, suspicious and sneaky interest and activities of Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman in way down cheaper allotment of acres of estate in Dera Ismail Khan, shady deals and demands to get file work completed in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa.
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Many cases of morbidity of rampant corruption have gone unnoticed and unpunished, (even un-investigated) in Pakistan’s history, be these the billions worth of cooperative societies scandals against Chaudhry clan of Gujrat, in 90s era, money laundering cases against Sharif Brothers’ Hadibia paper Mills, Augusta sub-marines’ commission scandal against President Asif Ali Zardari and top military brass, suspicious and sneaky interest and activities of Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman in way down cheaper allotment of acres of estate in Dera Ismail Khan, shady deals and demands to get file work completed in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa.
Anything goes in Pakistan, be it the issue of delayed verdict against the former Attorney general, Latif Khosa regarding his graft of Rs.30, 00,000 in order to declare a legal case in favor of his client, be it the part played by Harris steel Mill case in its nefarious endeavors to bankrupt the Bank of Punjab, case against former PM Shaukat Aziz regarding fraud in Stock Exchange, and nefarious endeavors to sell Pakistan Steel Mills at peanuts, and the massive fraud of embezzlement of more than U$.10 billion worth of US aid.
Granted for a moment that alleged cases against sugar mafia were proved, the worst that could befell the criminals would be a penalty of paltry Rs.500 million, while these very mills have been able to swindle masses by more than Rs 22 billion. While Competitive commission of Pakistan (CCP) has not even been able to collect any other penalties.
A closer scrutiny of corruption cases being reviewed by Supreme Court, in which the rich and influential have been known to embezzle billions out of exchequer with relative ease and impunity, shows that a massive Rs.0.15 trillion worth of embezzlement has so far been unearthed. Among these include NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance), Swiss cases, NECL, Steel Mill, Rental Power Plant (RPP), Hajj corruption, Punjab Bank scandal, Harris steel mills case and countless other were reviewed. It is pertinent to note that these cases pertain to corruption only, and even those, which occurred in a year’s time.
Among these the most important was the NRO case, which has been declared as null and void. The NAB (National Accountability Bureau) had presented a list for Supreme Court of Pakistan, which included 248 names indicted in cases of corruption, but had been provided immunity after NRO. Among the names included President Asif Ali Zardari, interior minister Rehman Malik, former chairperson PPP, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, former IB chief Brigadier Imtiaz and Pakistan’s ambassador to America, Hussain Haqqani. The Nab list indicates that 6 cases had been filed against President Zardari, in his capacity as an MNA, and included such issues as illegal construction of polo ground in PM House, Rs.260 million corruption in the Awami tractor scheme, and damaging National finances worth Rs1.82 billion in ARY Gold license scandal.
President Zardari also faced a reference regarding his minting of assets worth Rs22 billion and another assets of minting illegal assets worth U$.1.50 billion; all of which was way above than what Zardari had actually declared. Another MNA Nawab Muhammad Yousaf Talpur was also indicted in the Awami Tractor Scheme; and former chairperson PPP, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, also mother-in-law to President Asif Ali Zardari faced a reference worth Rs. 1.50 billion. Current interior minister Rehman Malik had an already pending corruption case pending against him, since 1996, when he held the post of additional director general, FIA (Federal Investigation Agency), regarding embezzlement worth U$.1,65,000 in yellow cab scheme.
Former federal minister, Anwar Saifullah faced a case regarding illegal appointments in Sui gas department, and accepting massive grafts worth 100 million in order to issue quota for LPG, and accepting another U$.4.1 million in this connection.
A 3-member Bench in the chair of Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry recently reviewed another important case pertaining to Rs 10 billion worth of loans of Punjab Bank, in which NAB officials informed Supreme Court that more than Rs.6 billion worth of gifts and jewelery, while assets worth more than 2 billion of Seth Yaqoob, the brother of Sheikh Afzal, were also frozen. Harris Steel mills faced a case regarding waiver of loans worth Rs. 9 billion from Bank of Punjab; resulting in arrest of four directors after failure to repay the loan.
During the case review, it was disclosed by director of Harris steel mill, that in order to assist lifting the case against Harris steel mills, federal law minister Babar Awan, former Attorney general Malik Abdul Qayyum and senator Waseem Sajjad had taken billion from him.
Among the worst scandalous case ever reviewed in the History of Pakistan pertained to Hajj scandal, which was reviewed over Suo-motto notice by the Chief Justice; according to which the religious ministry submitted names and records of 630 Hajj tour operators.
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