Leniency in some voluntary return cases in Sindh raises eyebrows

ISLAMABAD: The Sindh government, following the orders of superior courts, has initiated action against officers of different provincial departments who have made a ‘voluntarily return’ (VR) deal with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in corruption cases but not everybody is treated alike as the government has gone lenient in some cases which has raised many eyebrows.

The competent authority in the province has awarded minor penalty of ‘censure’ to a senior officer of Education Department who made a VR deal of millions of rupees with the NAB in a corruption matter, documents available with The News reveal.

This case would open the doors for all other corrupt officers of the Sindh government who have struck a VR deal with NAB (admitted their crime and returned the looted money) as if anyone is given strict punishment he would move the court making the instant case as a precedent.

Details reveal that one Muhammad Safar of education department in Jamshoro was caught by NAB in a corruption case and struck a deal of VR with the accountability bureau. According to the official documents, the competent authority on September 16, 2016 in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 3(e) of Removal from Service Ordinance 2000, imposed minor penalty of ‘censure’ upon Safar. 

Earlier, Secretary Education Dr Fazal Pechuho had recommended stern action against 62 officers of Sindh Education Department who returned millions of rupees to NAB under the Bureau’s VR policy.

The competent authority told The News that action against employees of the Sindh government’s different departments has been initiated, but he hesitated to discuss the case of Safar. The CS asked The News to contact another official.

When contacted, the other official said that following the orders of the Sindh High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan, directions have been issued to all departmental heads of Sindh government to take action against those officials who have made VR deals with NAB.

“A formal letter has been written to all the secretaries and they have been asked to report to the competent authority regarding action to be taken against the corrupt officials and a meeting of all secretaries has been called on Monday, September 26, for the perusal of the matter,” he said.

Replying to a question, he mentioned that there were over 500 officers of Sindh Education, Finance, Health, Services and General Administration (S&GAD), Local Government Department and some deputy commissioners who opted for VR with NAB in their corruption matters. The secretary also avoided commenting on the matter of Safar.

A senior officer of the Sindh government on the condition of anonymity told The News that due to award of minor punishment to a blue eyed officer, all process of action against corrupt elements will be destroyed and a new Pandora’s Box of litigation will be opened by other officers who also fall in same category.