The Minister for Information, Mr Kaira, tried to defend Raja Ashraf absolving him of responsibility for appointment of Tauqir Sadiq as Chairman OGDC and OGRA, charged with embezzlement and losses of over Rs 82 billion. The issue is not who was PM, but this controversial appointment. Can Kaira specify appointments made on merit which yielded financial benefit to state corporations?
It was a moral and constitutional obligation of the elected executive to make appointments on merit, as per their oath to uphold the constitution. All appointees of this government, selected to head PIA, PSO, OGDC, Hajj Directorate, Railways, CAA, Auditor General, PEPRA, PEMRA, CDA, FBR, NHA, NAB etc have only accumulated losses to these organisations and brought nothing but misery for people and exchequer. This government selected a high school crony to head PIA, under whose tenure PIA routes were sold for a song.
He was replaced by another crony who cancelled contracts with all manufacturer recommended vendors and instead awarded sole rights to an unknown firm located in Dubai, which resulted in grounding half the fleet. While PIA losses mounted and over three thousand more were added to this overstaffed airline, a CFO related to co-chairperson was appointed in CAA, who embarked on loot sale of traffic rights to all airlines, in violation of all rules for such bilateral agreements. What was the benefit to public of Rs 2.4 billion taken out of BISP and spent on media projection?
It was during the tenure of his government that our state owned rail and air public transport system collapsed, our industry ground to a halt because of crippling electricity shortages, lawlessness breaking previous records under the garb of reconciliation, whereby target killings and extortion were endured. As if this was not enough, over 80,000 containers went missing and FBR tax deficits broke records, which have even baffled IMF. The issue which Mr Kaira has forgotten is that poor governance, lack of transparency and corruption stick to his government like glue to paper and yet they feel that all these abuses were the perks of power they earned when they got 2008 mandate.
SHAHZAD KHALIL
Sialkot