ISLAMABAD: The Baluchistan government has set a new record of financial indiscipline by covering- up siphoning of millions of rupee by its chief secretary, Fazeel Asghar, and his office staff as award money.
Rather than making corrective measures on highlighting the issue of swindling of millions of rupee of public money by its chief secretary and his other staff members, the provincial government opted to defend award money for making budget for the province. This scribe had raised the issue in one of NEWSMAN’s stories and sought comments on the issue by Liaqat Shahani, spokesperson of Baluchistan government. In response to questions raised by NEWSMAN, spokesperson of Baluchistan issued a 2-page clarification wherein he defended award of money in millions to provincial chief secretary and his other staff. Not only this the spokesperson gave example of other provinces, which in his opinion, give award money to their respective chief secretaries and their staff for their ‘valuable contribution’ in annual budget making.
This correspondent checked with the provincial governments and found that the claim of Baluchistan government’s spokesperson was incorrect. A very high profile bureaucrat, who also served as chief secretary Baluchistan for three years term, also denied of having received any award money while serving as chief secretary Baluchistan. The senior bureaucrat sent me a written message contradicting claims of Baluchistan government. Award of millions to provincial chief secretary and his staff is worst example of swindling of public money. The government of Mr Jam Kamal does not seem interested in taking notice of this siphoning of millions by his chief secretary and his other staff. The defence of his government spokesperson of a wrongdoing gives simple meanings— instead of corrections its going for bad governance to get the repute of incorrigible.
Bayaid Khan, a Quetta-based journalist, told NEWSMAN that Jam Kamal government brushed aside criticism on the issue and released ‘award money’ to Fazeel Asghar and others’ accounts. He also sent this correspondent a copy of cheque, showing payment of award money into Fazeel Asghar’s account at UBL Islamabad.