Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan...
true, in Pakistan, 'might is right'. Those with the most guns,ie.Army impose their rule
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan...
Now wehere is that person who claimed ISI does not have its own identity and that it is not distingushable from the 3 services?
Sorry I don't read all the posts here. Next time pm me if you specifically need my comment. The article you're referring to was not written by me. It claimed: 'So it is an integral part of the military bureaucracy and thus cannot function independently of this bureaucracy, although it may be a powerful segment of that setup. This may not fit the imagines of Pakistan's detractors but this is the reality on the ground.'
Now please carry on with your conversation. Good to have you back here.
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan…
not that police is much better, we have seen how the cops imported from outside Karachi treat the local population.
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan...
well thats the sad part about musharraf ruling this country..he is a reasonable man but most people under him are not..the mentality of most people in the army,isi etc is that of a bully....they continue to be above the law and can get away with almost anything.
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan...
Fraudia
U respond to army's corruptions like some muslims respond to terrorist actions, the "BUT" factors pops up immediately.
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan...
no dude, as i have always maintained, when people point it out as if it only happens in army or it only happens under army rule that I address that it is a system wde issue which has shown itself in different institutions and under civilian and military regimes to provide a better perspective.
you guys go and start some threads dissing democratic regimes and how things were crappy in their era, and I will come in there balancing it by saying that the same crap happens in military regime as well.
same could be said of the anti-military crowd here which can not let a single thread with anything positive about this regime go without boo hoo'ing on some other stuff. take any thread and look at it.
I frankly dont care whether its an elected leader, a mullah, a military man or some random joker picked out by a national lotto to run the place, as long as they can deliver results, thats all I ask. they can even be corrupt, drink, have a harem...dance naked on a choaraha every saturday night...results is all I want to see.
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan…
No I did not forget it…when the defenders of the nation would support terrorism what do you expect from these small groups?
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan...
so you chose not to address itr because it did not link well with the anti military tirade? :)
btw. the same 'terrorists' were courted by the politial parties as well and only attacked (well the parties and anyone of that ethnicity) when the group in question did not play ball.
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan...
While not defending ISI, one of my friend had rented thier house to PPP during BB's reign. Not only did they not pay the rent these thugs even took fixtures and fittings when they left. PPP and PML are no less chor and third class.
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan...
I know .....my dad's office properties are still being used as PPP's regional offices :)
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan...
Pakistani elites need a danda up their butts... We need a Robin hood to save the day. :)
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan…
Even the politcians now chastising the Army for kicking people off thier land and livelihood
PAC accuses military of misusing land
ISLAMABAD, Jan 27: The Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly on Saturday took a serious notice of the Ministry of Defence’s failure to pay compensation to owners of land acquired for military cantonments in various parts of the country decades ago and use of such land for commercial or agricultural purposes.
In 1960s and 1970s, 8,930 acres of land were acquired from farmers for the Gujranwala Cantonment at a price of Rs1,500 per acre.
The Land Acquisition Collector (LAC) did not pay owners of the land the Rs41.56 million compensation amount released by the defence ministry.
The land was now being sold at millions of rupees per kanal for commercial purposes, the committee was informed by the audit department.
The PAC told defence secretary Lt-Gen (retd) Tariq Waseem Ghazi that his ministry had adopted a “hands-up approach” to numerous issues of the same nature in which either land was used for commercial purposes or distribution of compensation to owners was delayed by the ministry at different levels.
“On the one hand, people were deprived of a constant source of income (farm land) and on the other, they were seldom paid compensation,” observed member Qamar Zaman Kaira.
According to the audit department, the military estate office (MEO), Multan, acquired 5,000 acres in Pirowal, Khanewal district, from the forest department at Rs250 million.
The land was acquired for a new cantonment as sanctioned by the government in June 1994. But one year later, cultivation was started on 4,975 acres and a milk centre was established on the remaining 25 acres.
The MEO also acquired 34,462 acres from the Punjab government in Sargodha in 1984 for defence purposes. But now, some of the land is being used for agricultural purposes and the Pakistan Air Force leased out 3,000 plots of 100 kanal each of the same land.
Till year 2000, the PAF had earned Rs25 million from the lease, which was never deposited in the government’s treasury.
The issue ignited a heated debate after ruling Pakistan Muslim League MNA Akbar Ali Vains said various departments, handed over to the military by civilian governments in the past for improving their performance and removing corruption, were now performing even worse.
“If even our military and generals have failed to improve the performance of the departments they head, we can only pray (for these departments to perform well),” Mr Vains said. His comment changed the facial expression of the defence secretary, who immediately asked the MNA to refrain from issuing categorical statements and see positive aspects of military administrations as well.
But Nisar Ali Khan told the defence secretary to take criticism in healthy spirit. He said if the defence ministry was so efficient, why the audit department had presented bulky files containing reservations over its accounts and functioning to the PAC.
He said a single telephone call by a military general to the Punjab chief minister could make the Land Acquisition Commissioner pay compensation to land owners within hours. But in fact, it showed the lack of interest on behalf of the ministry.
“This is a symbolic case of how inefficient and incapable these departments are,” said member and PML-N MNA Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
The committee directed the defence ministry to resolve all cases of similar nature within two months on its own because they were destroying the committee’s time.
The audit department informed the meeting that the LAC had also not passed on the Rs22.76 million compensation amount to owners of 284 kanals of land acquired in the Rajar village, Gujrat district, for defence purposes in 1987.
The committee stressed the need for a new formula of land assessment in order to pay reasonable compensation to owners of land being acquired for defence purposes. It observed that people should either be paid compensation as per market rates or very close to such rates.
Nisar Ali Khan said it was a common observation land acquired on throw-away prices for defence purposes was used for commercial purposes as was evident from the audit department’s reports. This practice needed to be discouraged strongly, he said.
The committee was informed that 22 pieces of ‘class A-1’ land situated in the Lahore Cantonment was being used for commercial purposes in violation of the Cantonment Land Administration Rules, 1937, which says that such land could not be used for purpose other than military buildings, military recreational, parade grounds and playgrounds, rifle ranges, grass farms etc. The Rs1.33 billion amount received through premium and rent of the land was never deposited in the government’s treasury.
Member Qamar Zaman Kaira said due to the absence of a parliamentary system (since prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted), the PAC was handling a backlog of audit cases stretched over a period of nine years. Four sub-committees of the PAC had been formed to handle the cases.
He said that in other countries, there were no national accountability bureaus, but in fact, public accounts committees dealt with such issues. He asked the defence ministry to engage its joint secretaries and sections officers in such issues to resolve them without further delay and ensure that intra-departmental issues were not brought to the committee.
Re: A small yet frustrating example of how things work in Pakistan...
^ wow! can this be true? it doesn't get any more blatant or worse than this. May be I should change my mind about the Musharaf regime altogether if this is the state of anarchy reigning. Just ridiculous.