[Diamer Dam Commission Scandal] Assistant Commissioner Diamer suspended along with 7 sub-ordinates
Monitoring Desk
Gilgit, January 26: The biggest corruption scandal of Gilgit – Baltistan’s history has been busted with the help of information provided by intelligence agencies. Assistant Commissioner Diamer, Zahid Mumtaz, has been suspended along with 7 other officials of the revenue department on the allegations of the region’s biggest corruption scandal. A high level investigation committee headed by GB Home Secretary Bilal Lodhi has been formed to probe the mega corruption scandal involving hundreds of thousands of commission money allegedly taken from the people affected by construction of Diamer Dam.
According to details, the Assistant Commissioner was allegedly running a gang of revenue department officials who made hundreds of millions of rupees by providing fake measurements of at-risk land in the Diamer District. The officials, allegedly, took money from the land owners for providing fake measurements to enable the land owners launch exaggerated compensation claims against the potential loss of their land.
Payments against fake claims have been halted.
The Assistant Commissioner was allegedly caught red-handed while trying to transfer the money to an account, believed to be his father’s, in Lahore.
The mega corruption scandal has exposed the weakness in the governance structure where inexperienced legislators, larger-than-life role of bureaucracy, a weak judiciary and lack of parliamentary control have emerged as major hurdles for good governance.
It is really shocking and alarming for all stake holders of GB. This is not a first time incident such irregularities and mishappenning are occured in GB. The main cause is not having a proper mechanizm of mentoring and monitoring the system in Government institutions. We should not blame the Government as it never allows to be dishonest and corrupt in our daily routines. These are individuals who become the cause of defame of institution or Govt.We have noticed that the MNAs are complaining with each other allegating corruption, if It is so who should reform the society. By whom we should expect the well being of people. Our great Heros of GB late Col. Mirza Hassan khan and Late .Hov. Lalik Jan Shaheed Nishan haider and their companions had offered sacrifice of their lives for peace ,soldierity and honesty. Today we the responsible people from Govt. as well as civil society becomes relaxed after violating human rights and creating disintegration amongst communities and in areas.By whom we should wait as already we have lost our many heroes. Should we not reflect on our own actions. Daily we read in news papers that positions are sold on certain amount if it is reality than the concern authority has not right to sit on relevant seat.For this purpose group of honest impartial experts or relevant professionals from all relevant camps should involved to ensure transparency and accountability in the Government system. I really appreciates the appointments in police that it were on merit. A mother of new appointee told me in a mosque that my son has been appointed without spendin a penny. Really we proud on such recruitment system and top management of Police GB who inplace a transparent system in GB. The same type of news I had heard that a section officer demands one lac fifty thousand for appointment in …..department. I would say such section officer will destroy not only the section he will deteroriate the whole Govt. system as well.That is why we are in the centre of natural storms and hazards. All these are the results of our dealings and routines. At the end I really appreciate the efforts of Home secretary and chief secretary on exposing corruption and strugling for reducing this tendency, we would expect they will do practical work to in place the systems in centre as well and help the civil socities in streamlining the systems.
Thanks
Ali Mehr
activist
Human Rights comission of Pakistan
Gilgit_ Baltistan
Nice words Ali Meher!
The PUNISHMENT for most serious immoral crimes such as PT mentioned above “(a) bribery, (b) extortion, (c) fraud, (d) embezzlement, (e) nepotism, (f) cronyism, (g) appropriation of public assets and property for private use, and (h) influence peddling” should be the punishment EQUAL TO ESPIONAGE and desertion and the culprits should be put to death like they do next door. Pakistan will be free from this cancer and become strong and healthy !