Skip to main content

Rampant corruption mars KW&SB

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Corruption and mismanagement at the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB) seem to have become so rampant and the menace was only to grow further to the extent of being irreversible if most drastic action was not initiated to overcome it. 

The situation in this public utility organization is reported to have reached its present stage due to malpractices carried out at the behest of the various political parties who desired to have their maximum possible control at this organization as they considered it a goose delivering golden eggs. 

A number of official documents containing disgusting material verified the growing concerns about the ruining of this particular organization which enjoyed good reputation in the past in the absence of political interventions. 

One of documents showed the name of one Aijaz Kazmi, a Superintending Engineer (BS-19), in his last quarter of service, getting himself posted in BS-20 as Deputy MD Planning on OPS basis in gross violation of order of Supreme Court and is maneuvering to get himself promoted to BS 20. 

According to the documents, next to him ready to join the cruise and ride on the BS-20 slots, were Mohammed Saqib and Shoaib Tughlaq, both enjoying BS-20 OPS as DMD and Secretary KWSB, against the orders of the Supreme Court. They were believed to have made their way from low clerical ranks and through out of turn promotions. 

They were shown in lower cadre rank until 2006-07 when more than 100 tax officers (BS-17) in the 1987 to 1094 had 15 to 20 years of service. Shoaib and Tughlaq, with some other clerks, jumped to grade BS-18 in Accounted and Administration, allegedly by tempering the records. 

Shakil Qureshi, Tariq Latif, Ayub Shaikh, Hashim Abbas, Khurram Shahzad, thought to be enjoying blessings of a political party, have reportedly extended total support for Aijaz Kazmi. They were also believed to be supported MD Asadullah and Prof Sarosh Lodhi, Vice Chancellor of NED University, who is also a member of KWSB. The Board’s HR Committee headed by Abdul Kabir Kazi and the Managing Director was also toeing similar line in promotion proposal. 

The documents revealed that Aijaz Kazmi and some others were facing enquiry on the order of Chief Minister, having been charge sheeted by the Chief Secretary for causing loss of billions of rupees to exchequer. The projects of K4, S3, Dhabeji Pumping, 35 MW Power Generation, Rehabilitation of Filter Plants and 100 MGD and 65 MGD projects have either failed or left incomplete, causing grave losses of government funds, due to the rampant corruption culture at the KW&SB. 

Meanwhile The Chief Secretary Sindh has submitted lists under enquiry officers in the High Court on court direction, advising that these officers could not be be considered for promotion. A notification issued by the Local Government has also reasserted that officers will not be considered for potion until cleared/exonerated from enquiries.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ambassador explains Chinese role in curbing COVID-19

By Masood Sattar Khan  (Pakistan News & Features Services) The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, attended the preparation and response plan of the new crown epidemic on April 24. According to the details shared by the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, Ambassador Yao Jing was invited to attend the Pakistan New Crown Outbreak Preparation and Response Plan (PPRP) on video conference. The meeting, organized by the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was also attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister of Economic Affairs, Khasro Bakhtiar, Prime Minister’s Health Adviser Dr Zafar Mirza, Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, General Muhammad Afzal, WHO Director-General, Tan Desai besides the representatives of World Bank, United Nations, UNICEF, UNHCR, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and envoys from more than 20 countries.  Besides China, envoys from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, the European Unio...

Corona field facility at Karachi Expo Centre may admit patients now

By Mukhtar Alam (Pakistan News & Features Services) The 1,200-bed field isolation centre at the Karachi Expo Centre, on April 6, will open its doors for new COVID-19 infected patients of Karachi and other parts of Sindh who will be referred to it by designated tertiary care hospitals, as the diseases infected another 51 people in six districts of Sindh on April 5.  A source in the provincial health department informed PNFS that authorities have decided not to overburden the designated tertiary care health facilities in terms of corona cases further.  The hospitals have now been asked to admit only new severely ill COVID-19 patients or those seeking intensive cares, while the rest will present at the newly established Expo Centre isolation facility, where the Sindh health department has deployed its doctors, paramedics and other human resources, the source added. Through a letter of the health department, all the district health officers of Karachi division have been asked ...

Khumar Farooqui passes away

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi (Pakistan News & Features Services) Noted poet and writer, Masroor Alam Farooqui, famously known as Khumar Farooqui, passed away in Karachi after a brief illness. He was 71. He has left behind a widow, two sons and two daughters besides grandsons and granddaughters to mourn his death. Khumar Farooqui was born at Agra, British India, in 1942. Upon migration to Pakistan, he did his MA and LL.B from Rawalpindi. He joined government service at the Federal Bureau of Statistics from where he retired as the Chief Statistical Officer. A born poet, Khumar Farooqui joined the Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology (SSUET), Karachi, as a consultant and worked in its Literary and Cultural Forum headed by Late Brig (Rtd) Qamarussalam after whose death he became the convener of the forum. He used to attend mushairas at national and international levels. His poetry ...