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A time tested old adage goes that, 'a man is recognised by the
books he reads and the company he keeps.' Erosion of cultural finesse
in these times has perhaps replaced books with 'the location of the
plots he owns.' The company a man keeps, never the less, still holds
true. There is another proverb according to which 'birds of a feather
flock together.'
When General Musharraf came to power in 1999, he gathered an apolitical
and professional team around him and the general perception was that
he had managed to eliminate corruption at the top level. Lately, spooky
revelations about some key cabinet members have begun to caste shadows
over General Musharraf's unsoiled image.
Federal minister, Faisal Saleh Hayat, was allowed to contest elections
because of Supreme Court's stay order and bail in a reference of wilful
default case with the accountability court. Under that fickle cover,
he had joined the elite group of politicians who commute from jail
to the cabinet (and back again sometimes). On Monday, March 7, a 19
page detailed order of the Supreme Court stated, "The appeal
of Syed Faisal Hayat is dismissed and consequently July 5, 2000, stay
against corruption proceedings before the accountability court is
vacated and bail granted in his favour is also cancelled." While
the Minister who is cleverly sitting out his reversal of fortune in
London, claiming that a settlement has been made with UBL, the lender
bank, with the good graces of State Bank's conciliation committee
and the rescheduling approved by the Governor State Bank.
NAB had put in a formal application to the Supreme Court for withdrawal
of reference against the Minister but the apex court observed that
the NAB chairman did not enjoy unlimited or unidentified powers under
Section 25-A (g) of the NAB ordinance to approve decisions of the
State Bank governor. And it is for the accountability court to accord
approval to such decision, after diligent application of mind and
keeping in view all circumstances and chequered history of the case.
The order directs the accountability court to determine whether the
accused is guilty of "wilful default". "While determining
the question of wilful default, the accountability court will also
examine Sections 23, 63 and 64 of the Contract Act 1872," the
order observes. Supreme Court has also directed the accountability
court to review whether agreements between Shah Jewna Textile Mills
and the United Bank Limited, rescheduling the liabilities, were in
public interest.
Raw facts are that the original loan was approved in violation of
the spirit of State Bank's prudential regulations - one of the senior
most officials of the Bank committed suicide when investigations began.
Against a total liability of about Rs. 691 million, according to the
counsel of the petitioner, Faisal Saleh Hayat settled loan matters
with UBL and deposited Rs. 80 million as down payment and Rs. 40 million
within a period two months. Faisal Saleh Hayat has already deposited
60 instalments of Rs. 4 million each so far according to the agreement
reached with the lender bank. The worthy Minister has enjoyed the
funds for over decade and now against a payment of Rs 104 million
he has been baptised with a promise to pay the balance amount of Rs
587 million at a future date.
Let us not forget that banks are not in the morality business. They
have to take the path of least damage to recover defaults and invariably
they prefer to accept piecemeal recoveries over time to writing off
the whole amount by sending defaulters to jail and loosing depositors'
money. Bank rescheduling cannot wash the criminal aspect of manipulating
under-secured loans in collusion with key officials. Since the P.M.
is a banker, he probably looks at the whole episode from a banker's
point of view, not as a conscientious citizen and therefore feels
no need to ask for his resignation: business as usual, no harm done
to civic propriety. Most of all, man in the street, being no fool,
is saying that Faisal Hayat is being sacrificed to appease Benazir
for political reconciliation. There can be no worst public indictment
of the judiciary, the army and the president.
Next, we have another blue-eyed boy of the president, Dr. Aamir Liaquat
Hussain, the high profile Parliamentarian of Altaf Hussain's Muttahida
Qaumi Movement (MQM-AH) who is projecting himself as Altaf Bhai's
successor, in case the MQM leader is recalled by the Almighty prematurely.
He is a versatile preacher of Islamic values and morals on home TV
screens. He is a junior Minister of State for Religious Affairs, Zakat
& Ushr. He is rumoured to have moved the president to tears with
his oratorical skills on TV. His occult powers have no bounds. He
got his 'Masters of Arts in Islamic Studies' degree (P - 2002341)
on 15th March 2002 and followed up with a 'Doctorate of Philosophy
in Islamic Studies' degree (No. P - 2002528) in April 2002 from Malaga,
a Spain based 'Trinity College and University, which boasts about
providing Bachelor's, Master's, or even Doctorate degrees, without
attending any class or college. More amazing, Dr. S.M. Aqil Burney,
registrar of Karachi University, authenticated his degrees, provisionally,
on August 22, 2002, days before filing of his nomination papers on
the same day of his application through letter no. PA/2002, dated
August 24, 2002. However, the Higher Education Commission in Islamabad,
the official authority on the matter, refused to verify whether "The
Trinity College and University" of Malaga, Spain was a recognized
educational institution by Pakistan, vide a letter [No. 8-03/HEC/A&A/2005]
dated February 23, 2005 to daily 'Ummat', Karachi. If he can get a
doctorate in three weeks, next he will be claiming to walk on water!
With official patronage, anything is possible.
Finally, we have the Punjab Minister of Health, Dr. Tahir Ali Javed,
who caused the biggest Hepatitis outbreak in US history. He was sued
by over 100 victims in Nebraska, paid millions of dollars in out-of-court
settlements and has now lost his medical license in the States of
New York and Nebraska. He continues to be the Minister of Health in
Pakistan's largest province, Punjab. He fled US in July 2002, maneuvered
to become a member of the Punjab Assembly in the 2002 elections, and
appointed as the Minister of Health of the province with a budget
of billions of rupees. The petition for disciplinary action filed
against him in Nebraska was on "the grounds of unprofessional
conduct, gross negligence, a pattern of negligent conduct, grossly
immoral or dishonorable conduct, and practice of the profession fraudulently,
in violation of Nebraska statutes and regulations." I suppose
after A.Q.Khan, protecting him was a cheesecake, but appointment to
a cabinet post is extending mercy to the limits.
All these rats emerging out of the attic belies the claims of the
housekeepers that they run a hygienic household.
Iqbal Mustafa
email: mustafa@hujra.com
Archives available at www.hujra.com
1134 words
12 March 2005
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