Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali has said that propaganda of corruption has been unleashed against the Sindh government under a pre-plan conspiracy. It seems as if there is only Sindh where corruption is pervasive notwithstanding this malaise is common across the country.
“I have taken drastic measures to stop corruption in Sindh by activating Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and arresting senior officers who have challaned in courts.”
The chief minister said this while addressing the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected office-bearers of Karachi Bar Association at City Courts Karachi.
He said he had recently visited Punjab where people were also talking about corruption. “I am not accusing any government or blaming any person for corruption. I am just saying that it is a big social issue in the country which needs to be curbed seriously,” he said.
Talking about the struggle of lawyers for democracy and freedom of judiciary, the chief minister said that he himself was a lawyer. “The positions of chief ministers and ministers keep on changing but it is my profession (lawyer) which nobody can take away. I am very fond of this profession and I am one of you (lawyers community),” he said.
Shah said his party, under the leadership of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, struggled for restoration of democracy, independence of judiciary and restoration of human rights and rule of law. “I feel proud to say that lawyers community was with us in our entire struggle,” he recalled.
Responding to a demand of the Karachi Bar members, the chief minister said he had approved the establishment of 10 more anti-terrorism courts in Karachi. “The Sindh High Court is competent to appoint the judges of the newly-established ATCs but I would recommend the judiciary to appoint 50 per cent of the judges from practicing lawyers,” he said. “There must be no issue if retired judges are inducted in ATCs but at least 50 per cent quote may be reserved for the lawyers.”
He said he was proud to announce that he had established a law university in Karachi, the first ever in Pakistan. “Apart from it, three more universities have been established in Karachi and overall there are nine universities in the province. It is not an ordinary thing as establishing a university costs government over Rs 1.5 billion.”
The chief minister said democracy would automatically strengthen when people would respect judiciary and law. “There is no justification to weaken the democracy with the allegations of corruption. It is democracy which upholds human rights and ensures human development,” he said.
On the demand of the bar members, the chief minister announced Rs 2 million compensation for the heirs of each and every lawyer who was killed by terrorists. “I have been given the list of 58 lawyers who were killed in different terrorist incidents,” he said, and added that earlier only Rs 5,00,000 compensation was given which he enhanced to Rs 1 million in his first term and now it had been fixed at Rs 2 million,” the CM said.
The chief minister gave a cheque of Rs 10 million grant to the president of Karachi Bar Association and also assured to give them two vehicles for carrying lawyers from city courts to the high court. Earlier, the CM administered oath to the newly-elected office bearers of the Karachi Bar Association.
