Transparency denies clearing Punjab govt's projects

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Tuesday, 19 March 2013

18-03-2013 | The News
ISLAMABAD: Transparency International Pakistan has taken exception to the Punjab government’s advertising campaign with taxpayers’ money misusing the watchdog’s name that it had cleared metro bus project while facts speaks otherwise.

Talking to The News, Advisor to the Transparency International Pakistan Syed Adil Gilani said the Punjab government was using public money to publicize that the TI-Pakistan had cleared its three projects including the Metro Bus Service, while the fact was that the TI-Pakistan had objected to two contracts of Metro Bus Service worth over Rs2 billion.

Gilani said both things were wrong: neither the Punjab government can use public money in publicizing itself on the verge of its end nor has the TI-P cleared the Metro Bus Service.

“We do not issue any certificate to any government or institution; however, we do monitor the procurement process and issue our report as we have done in Nadra’s UK project,” Adil Gilani said.

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Punjab govt. appoints PML-N men in govt jobs ‘illegally’

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Wednesday, 21 November 2012

21-11-2012
ISLAMABAD: Despite a public rhetoric, the Punjab government, too, has informally allowed MPs belonging to the PML-N and the Unification Block of the PML-Q to get their choice candidates appointed to government jobs.

Though officially this is denied both at political and bureaucratic levels, information retrieved from a computer of one of provincial departments reflects how almost 110 favourites of lawmakers have been short-listed for appointments in just one office.

These appointments are sought in the low scale jobs in BS-1 to BS-5. As per the government rules, these posts are required to be filled through a transparent procedure, but in the case of Agriculture Department, everything has been finalised even before the final interviews of the candidates.

In the first week of February 2011, the Punjab Agriculture Research Department advertised almost 133 low scale (BS-1 to BS-5) posts for Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad. It is not clear how many thousands have applied for these jobs, but the computer managed by the institute’s deputy director administration and accounts Malik Hayat Azad has already finalised a list of almost 110 candidates, all recommended by the local PML-N MPs, against each advertised post.

The completion of appointment process though awaits the final interviews is being delayed because of the unavailability of concerned directions, sources in the department insist the list as reflected in the institute’s computer is final.

The institute’s director general, Dr Noorul Islam Khan, when contacted, categorically denied this and assured that all appointments would be made on merit. He said he was not aware of any computer list of final candidates, but explained the public representatives all over the world, even in the United States, do write re-commendatory letters. He said parliamentarians in Pakistan do have to take care of their electorate, but it should be ensured that the deserving candidates are not denied their right.

His administration officer Malik Hayat Azad, when contacted, also denied that there exists any final list of the candidates for appointments in his computer.

However, some credible sources in the department provided both soft and hard copies of the list, which contain all the relevant details, including the names of the MPs on whose recommendations the favourites are being appointed. Since the jobs relate to Faisalabad, therefore, the share of these jobs is also distributed among the PML-N and pro-government PML-Q MPs from the same area.

New agency is also in possession of some of the letters of recommendations sent by the ruling MPs of Punjab to the Ayub Agriculture Research Institute. In one such case, the PML-N MNA and chairman Standing Committee on Textile Industry, Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari, formally sent the list of seven of his favourites to the institute. Most of the recommended candidates are reflected in the final list.

According to details, MPs from Faisalabad division include Rana Sanullah, Sardar Dildar Cheema, Akram Ansari, Ajmal Asif, Abid Sher Ali, Raza Nasrullah Ghuman, Zafar Iqbal Nagra, Shafique Gujjar, Kh Muhammad Islam, Rai Muhammad Ijaz, Malik M Nawaz, Shahid Khalil Noor, Rao Kashif Raheem and Dr Khalid Imtiaz Khan Baloch.

The names of the recommended candidates include Rustam Ali, Gohar Ali, Arif Hussain, Muhammad Afzal, Muhammad Asif, Akbar Ali, Makhdoom Sabir, Awais Ashraf, Muhammad Ilyas, Intisarul Hassan, Mehran Maqsood, Muhammad Asif Nadeem, Ashiq Ali, Khalida Bibi, Shamoon Masih, Khalid Iqbal, Munawar Hussain Muhammad Tayyab, Mahmood Tahir Khan, Muhammad Usman Akbar, Sanaullah, Asif s/o Ghulam Jillani, Gulam Mustafa, Sajad Hussain, Faisalur Rehman, Muhammad Awais, Asghar Ali Shah, Habib Ahmad, Mubashar Iqbal, Muhammad Jabar, Pawal Francis, Hamad Ali, Khyzar Hayat, Amjad Hussain, M Tahir Saleem, Javed Iqbal, Sakhawat Ali, Muhammad Dilshad Bajwa, Shahid Mehmood, Rafaqat Ali, Navid Anjum, Tayyab Kamran, Asif Mahmood, Mauhammad Irfan, Muhammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Ilyas, Sarfraz, Imran Aleem, Ghazanfar Ali, Muhammad Nadeem Akhtar, Shujat Ali, Shah Behram, Hafiz Sajad Jahangir, Asif Masih, Aamar Jamshed, Sajjad Karim, Bismillah Shah, Umar Hayat Ghoori, Muhammad Iqbal, Muhmmad Siddiqi, Ehsanul Haq, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Imran, Faisal Shahzad, Shahzad Imran, Muhammad Qasim, Sohail Ahmad, Muhammad Sufayan, M Ishaq, Amar Mahmood, Muhammad Asif, Qurban Ali, Navid Ahmad, Muhammad Afzal, Mumtaz Ali, Usman Tariq, Liaqat Ali, Ikramul Haq, Muhammad Qurban, Wasim Saleem, Zulfiqar Ali, Aftab Alam, Sarfraz Ahmad, Muhammad Navid, Umer Rashid, Muhammad Khalil, Muhammad Hussain, Muhammad Sajjad, Naeen Gohar, Muhammad Imran, Tariq Hussain and Muhammad Arif.

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Punjab government's laptop scheme is a scam

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Sunday, 8 April 2012

08-04-2012
ISLAMABAD: After the ‘Sasti Roti’ scheme, the Punjab government once again faces a new scandal where it is alleged the 110,000 laptops scheme may incur a loss of at least Rs1.7 billion as they have been purchased at high prices.
Transparency International has requested the Punjab Government to look into these allegations as adhering to PPRA Rules was a must and the Supreme Court has also endorsed it in its recent judgment.
The Secretary, Planning & Development Department, Government of Punjab has been told by Transparency that serious allegations have been reported in the media on the violation of the Punjab Procurement Rules, 2009 in the purchase of 110,000 laptops by the Punjab government, incurring a loss of at least Rs1.7 billion.
'TI Pakistan requests the secretary to please examine the allegations. According to the Punjab Procurement Rules, 2009, P&D Department was obliged to issue Tender Documents comprising detailed specifications, evaluation criteria and other documents complying to Rule No 23. Kindly provide the tender documents to examine whether Rule No 23 was applied or not. If the allegations such as direct procurement from the company should have been made or the government opened a back-to-back LC to favour the supplier are not correct, they should be clarified. However, the P&D Department may clarify the allegations such as indirect reference that the specifications of laptops in the tender were different from what you have procured (like i3 or i5 processors were specified in tender, while the machine provided by the government runs on Pentium-D processor) and laptops distributed by the provincial government do not carry any guarantee, or the prices are 70% higher than market costs needs a detailed report.'
The letter of TI-Pakistan concludes that this is to point out that the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its judgment on RPP HRC 7734-G/0930 announced on 30 March 2012, has rescinded and declared all RPP contacts awarded in 2006 as well as in 2008 as illegal and against PPRA Rules. "Being a member of the Punjab PPRA Board, your responsibilities are more than other procuring departments, as you need to be a role model of the PPRA complaint department. TI Pakistan is striving to have the Rule of Law in Pakistan, which is the only way to eliminate corruption and have good governance in the country."

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Free laptops for Punjab students, now sold online

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Wednesday, 4 April 2012

04-04-2012

As the Government of Punjab continues to distribute free laptops to ‘talented’ students in the province, it appears that some have taken to selling the gift online.
A report has revealed that laptops handed out under the e-Youth Initiative program are now allegedly being sold on OLX.com.pk, a website used by buyers and sellers in Pakistan.
A quick search shows sellers pitching their wares stating that the laptop is from the Youth Initiative program and is being sold Rs8,000 to Rs10,000 lower than the market price. Users have also suggested that bargaining can bring the price down.
It has also been revealed that some machines are available at Hafeez Center in Lahore at a much lower price. Laptops are reportedly being sold for Rs20,000 and lower than market prices.
The provincial government has so far distributed thousands of laptops in different cities. Students have also complained that laptops are not being distributed on merit.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) recently directed the convener of the Youth Development Program investigate whether the laptops being distributed at Government University College (GCU) were on the basis of personal liking or merit.
Asghar Javed, a student of MPhil (Urdu) at GCU, filed a petition on Monday claiming that the laptops being distributed as a part of the program initiated by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were not based on merit.

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Punjab Govt's Laptop Scheme: DVDs of Stage drama & Mujra were found

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Saturday, 11 February 2012

A student who received a laptop after Punjab Government's Laptop Scheme has said that there were Punjabi Stage dramas and Dances (Mujras) in the DVDs of software pack with the laptop. Keep remember, it's free laptop scheme which was started by PML-N's government. These laptops were distributed by the supremo of PML-N Mr. Nawaz Sharif to the students of Bahudin Zikria University on Tuesday. This exposes the Islamic face of Punjab government. Well after that Pakistan should be renamed Banana Republic now.

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(Video) PML-N government threatens Dunya News Management

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Wednesday, 8 February 2012

08-02-2012
Punjab Government has started threatening Dunya News management for revealing PIC medicines scandal.
Dunya News broke and highlighted the tragic story about wrong medicines that were being given by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).
As a result of these contaminated drugs, more than 137 poor heart patients have lost lives and an uncounted number is still suffering life-threatening allergies.
However, the Punjab government, instead of putting its house in order, has started threatening Dunya News with dire consequences for projecting the cause of the poor people.
Senior anchors and management of Dunya News have been given direct threats.
Journalists and human rights organisations have expressed great concern and resentment over the dictatorial attitude of the Punjab government, and called such steps as attack on free media. Pervez Shaukat, President Federal Union of Journalist, said that any regime s days get numbered when it embarks on such dictatorial steps. He said the Federal Union of Journalist would stage a protest to condemn the threats and to express solidarity with Dunya News.
Similarly, Lahore Press Club President Sarmad Bashir expressed regret over the Punjab government s attitude, saying the media has its duty to expose wrongdoings of the government. Sarmad said the LPC would stage a protest tomorrow on the call of the Federal Union of Journalist.
Revealing the extent of threats, senior anchoperson Mubashar Luqman said that anchors and staff have been warned that their wherabouts and addresses had been listed and anything could happen if ruffling truth about Punjab goverbnment s performance was reported further. He said that the callers would even say that they knew the exact addresses of the schools the kids of Dunya News management go to.
Mubashar Luqman also said while the news of the threats is being aired, certain cable operators have reported that they have been pressurised by the Punjab government to cut off Dunya News transmissions.
He said that Punjab government has also been trying to cover the news of bird flu virus in the province because some PML-N stalwarts have huge stakes in the poultry industry.
It is confirmed separately that Dunya News tranmissions in some areas of Rawalpindi have been cut off.
Meanwhile, Azam Chaudhry, Secretary General Lahore Press Club, said that a fabricated case, invoking section 302, has been registered against Dunya News Chief Executive Mian Amir Mehmood in the Gulberg police station.

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Punjab government's 'Laptop Scheme' may go down in the soil

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Thursday, 26 January 2012

27-1-2012
Lahore: Punjab government's Laptop scheme also seems to go down in the soil as the 'Sasti Roti Scheme' did. Even after the elapsing of 3 months after the announcement, no laptop has been given to anyone. The terms on which the laptops are to be given are continually changed and as a result students are unable to get any. On the other hand, it can be expected that these Rs 3.74 billion/- would also end in the hands of corrupt bureaucracy.

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Forced students to listen 1st political speech of Maryam Nawaz

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Friday, 9 December 2011

PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif has allowed another women of his family to take part in politics. After accidental induction of Kulsoom back in 1999, Maryam Nawaz is now active in field of politics. Addition of Maryam Nawaz can give PML-N a young and new face for leadership but for Pakistani Nation it has the same story that starts with the same old tactics to bring the crowd. Students and Teachers of different Government Colleges were brought to listen her first political speech here in Lahore.

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PML N hired local labourers to gather crowd in rally

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Saturday, 29 October 2011

Local labourer of punjab revealed that Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) hired labourers to gather crowd in PML-N rally. Muslim League (Nawaz) paid them for that job. Private tv channels exposed the real face of Nawaz league as well, PML-N used the punjab government's machinery to get success and crowd in rally.

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Khadim e Aala Punjab Shahbaz Sharif singing in PML-N protest rally

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Friday, 28 October 2011

Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Leader & Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif singing in the protest rally of PML-N against the Zardari government. Rally termed as 'Go Zardari go rally' at Lahore (Bhati Chowk).

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PML N used state machinery for protest rally

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Pakistani private news channel exposed the real face of PML-N. Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) using state machinery of Punjab government to make the PML-N protest rally (Go Zardari Go rally) a success. Secretary RTA revealed, Shahbaz Sharif paid half payment to all transporters after that protest rally he will pay remaining payments . PML-N leaders paid transporters by the revenue of Punjab government. Transporters further revealed that, PML-N representatives threatened them; if they don't follow PML-N's instruction, they will be face the power of PML-N and Punjab government.

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