State of Corruption in South Asia 2000-01

SameerJB #9: ``Take for example PIA. They have been in trouble for several years. They are basically over staffed-too much spending for a small airline. The bribery and comissions only matter when they buy any new planes and that has not happened for a while. I do not know of any case of BB or NS making money from PIA.``

Your comments regarding the PIA are partially correct. It is one of the most over-staffed and inefficiently run airlines in the world. It is a tiny little airline with 45 or so aircraft, yet its staff is in 5 figures.

However, BB and NS have a lot to do with this over-staffing. Infact, they are the main causes of it. PIA has the strongest labor unions in Pakistan. I have a lot of friends in various positions in the PIA, and know this for a fact.

Its pilots union is notorious for, ``going by the book,`` while its ground employee unions are mini-PPPs and mini-PMLs. It is said that these unions are the next strongest political groups in Pakistan, after the PPP and PML, themselves. One union is supported by PPP and the other by PML.

Due to the above, it has been impossible to reform PIA. PPP and PML stuff the airlines with their jiyalas and followers. This is why it is over-staffed. And they ensure, these guys never get fired. Even the ones who are fired, are hired back years later, with full back-pay (this actually did happen). BB is well-known for filling top PIA positions with her PPP Sindhi mahnos, who had no qualifications for the jobs. Even Air Marshall Daudpota (ex-governor of Sind, and a Sindhi himself) resigned as MD PIA, when he got tired of BB appointing one unqualified Sindhi, after another, from her pool of PPP wallas.

And of course, NS appoints people like Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as MD PIA, whose only qualification was that he was the son of an ex-PAF fighter pilot.

It is infact a fact that these labor unions, went into the office of one of the MDs (or VPs), tied him up, and urinated in his office. That is how powerful each of the PPP and PML backed groups is in PIA.

Luckily, BB and NS can`t use their influence in the PIA at the moment. I believe the present govt. is trying hard to lay-off all the PPP and PML cronies from the PIA. I have heard they have laid off, or are planning to lay-off 5,000 people. The PIA unions will fight tooth and nail, to stop the airlines from being privatized, because they will then forced to earn their pay. It would have been impossible to privatize it under BB and NS. However, now there is hope. That is if anyone is willing to buy this white elephant.

There are very few problems in Pakistan of the 90s, in which BB and NS did not have a hand. They robbed the country silly, in all areas (of course, Shahbaz Sharif did widen two roads in Lahore, so perhaps it was all worth it). And PIA was a primary cash cow for their party members.

What is heartening is that the current cabinet, and Musharraf himself, have not had a single corruption case or rumour against them. I never thought I would able to say that in my lifetime about any Pakistani cabinet.

The true effects of corruption (bribery and comissions) on the problems highlighted by the author will rank pretty low in a list of causes. Of course, no corruption is better than corrupyion but mismanagement, poor plannimg, inept leadership, high population growth rate, a culture not kind and fair to women, tropical climate and many many other factors cotribute to our problems.

Take for example PIA. They have been in trouble for several years. They are basically over staffed-too much spending for a small airline. The bribery and comissions only matter when they buy any new planes and that has not happened for a while. I do not know of any case of BB or NS making money from PIA.

Overthrowing 5 successive democratic governments on the charges of corruption is the biggest corruption itself.

Ras Siddiqui #3 Would you care to post the details on this (your friend jailed for 3 years on corruption charges) case?

Shah Sahib

Thank you very much. Thank you very much.good write. You are professorsahib and I just hotel worker but our mental thinking is same. Surprise.

Too much corrouption all always.But Prof. man is needed to be good practical. Agree?. I deal with big people rich, powerful (not like Babus of Kachheris)they need power, drink and little else to relax.We can give no power but other things ok, you understand sir. Good.

Corrouption is ok sir. No problom with ahmed madani.If everybody corroupt means no corrouption correct. its like lubrication for engine. Engine burnt no lubrication ok. You agree.No lubrication piston does no move ment same way soshal life of country stop. WE need corrouption for poor to survive life ok. What poor man and woman do with out Bakshish?. Our bakshish make real money.Without lubrication Pakistan will come to standstill. Case give example.Our company steals power( have you heared K..U..N....D...), we give money to line man and engineer babu, good food and booze. No problem. Our co. does not make much money. Say no free power, price goes 30%, less cool, no guests, madani get shaft ok. Madani fired. No problom for you but what about Ahmed Madai?.Rich and powerful ok no corrouption but what about poor.Police can live on salary be honest. He has to earn ok.He can no make sandwhich with honesty ok. Just tired of pompous babus write essays. good bye. our business down due to OSB and this talking corrouption. We have prof.s we provide girls it is corrouption? or not/Even college Prof are corroupt. They make tutions no good teaching. they take money to `bad score` all scondrels

Aqil Shah:

Thanks for a timely thought!

Although your article talks about the trends and current malpractices in great detail, but I feel you should have incorporated the impact of the current events in your analysis as well. Fine, we(Pakistan) are in a ``sick`` region and do get affected by what happens in that region. But, we should be ``least`` interested and involved in ``any`` neighbor country and their crooks. They all can go to hell and die there! The emphasis, outside our borders, is a complete distraction. That`s what we have been wasting our time in. Could you all please avoid going there ? Could you all please focus on the future of your own country? Could you all please invest your analytical skills in the interest of your own country?

At present, due to the changing attitude of the world towards Pakistan, we need to have a well-defined structure in place. Many countries have promised to offer economic assistance and it`s extremely important that that money is wisely utilized. All the more reason, we should NOT permit any change at the government level. Many politicians(with a well-defined character)will try to come forth with their hidden agendas, to take advantage of the current situation. From that point of view, I think you should have emphasized on the next steps than informing the readers about the trends and malpractices of the past leaders(ruin-ers).

Well, no one is 100 % perfect when it comes to running a state, but we need to come up with very well defined rules and regulations for our own good. And the masses should be well aware of all the development projects and their implementations that are underway. I have personally come across some genuine folks in bureaucracy, who have taken on quite a few challenging tasks and are doing very well. There are quite a few great steps underway, by the current government, and I strongly feel that they should not do the mistake of letting any political party come forth at this crucial time. Some, would come forth, with their plea, that a soldier`s role is to defend the country only and he should not be responsible for running a state; but in the present situation and based on the past dramas, one has to let the soldier drive the ship to its destination with prudence and care. I feel your article should have had this component. But, probably, by giving the history of all the politicians and events, you wanted to imply what was out there. Sometimes reading between the lines works very well; on other occasions, things have to be spelled out. Just my thought!

``A further problem is the absence in the region of functioning judicial systems. While all South Asian countries have rigorous anti-corruption laws, conviction rates are low and sentences rarely carried out. The judicial process is open to manipulation and cases drag on for years.``

There is another point here. We have quite a few excellent lawyers, law-enforcers and judges out there. Ironically, in the past, many have lost their lives for taking a stand. Many were threatened to death if they took a step in the right direction. The judiciary is not a stand alone entity. Same is true for the civil servants! Another very dear friend`s late father was the Vice Chancellor of my university(UET)in Lahore; whenever he tried to implement a positive step or a disciplinary move, he and his family would receive threats. Still, he stood up many times and had to face dire-consequences for his positive steps. In a way, it was damn ironic that the ones who meant well had to face criticism, death-threats and mental agony. Probably, it says something about the social-mental-sickness that needs to be looked into. I am not a social scientist, but I think that in our country, the flow of actions, takes the top-down approach. So, if you end up living under a corrupt regime, you are left with very little power, to implement your positive input. It does not mean that your conscience dies; it simply means that you lose the vigor and the drive. And that`s a big loss for a nation!

Reappointment of Fernades as Defence Misnister is height of corruption.

Mona

Someone should actually research how many people have died BECAUSE of corruption. How many school teachers did not get their salaries, how many hospitals ran short of medicine or staff, how many pot holes in the roads caused fatal accidents, and punish the people in a way proportion to the deaths caused.

``In Pakistan, five successive elected governments have been dismissed on charges of corruption and mismanagement since 1988``

Dismissed by the purest of the pure no less?

Ras

(My friend Naveed Qamar just ``celebrated`` the start of his third year in jail without a trial
in Pakistan on ``corruption`` charges!``

Our corrupt leaders are more incompetent than other people`s corrupt leaders!!

Maybe that will someday be a blessing??

Ketan Parekh=2 thousands crores rs

Harshad Mehta=2 thousands rores rs.

Just the latest booty (loot ) of white collar ,insider trading & banking fraud.

This is only the recent atleast Harshad Mehta has been charged with many large sums of money more than this borrowing from Nationalised banks(essentially govt.of India=taxed ppls money)easily & declaring bankruptsy or disappearing.This all may seem to god to be true ,but its much eaier than robbing nank the hard way like bonney & clyde or Dillinger .!That is the fun part of it.No gun shooting or risk to there life involved.