Opinions

Accountability of Education Ministry in Gilgit-Baltistan

Saira Begum

Lately, NAB is working to unearth the allegations of rampant corruption in appointment of teachers over the past few years in GB. It is believed that people at highly revered positions were involved in such practices, including the then education minister. The matter is of high importance, because selling jobs of teachers is equal to selling the future of thousands of children. It is believed that teachers were appointed after taking bribes of few lakhs of money, disregarding meritocracy and causing damage of unimaginable proportion.

This may be the largest corruption scam in GB, in which not only political or elected representatives, to whom people had cast votes of trust, were involved, but the bureaucracy was equally absorbing bribed money and becoming richer at the cost of our children’s future. Similar accusations are also being made about the incumbent government. However, the credibility of such hearsay is yet to be established.

The governance system in GB is at its nascent stage, and there are many flaws. Ironically, the supreme appellate court has not taken any measure against bribed appointment of teachers, despite several pleas over the years to nip the evil in the bud. This raises question on the performance of judiciary. Rule of law, efficiency and responsiveness are the golden principles of governance which must be implemented in letter and spirit, to run institutions smoothly.

Appointment of a wrong person is detrimental to any institution and exhibits poor governance which may ultimately fail the entire system. Some of the discouraging educational statistics of GB are vociferously calling for greater accountability from the administrative and elected leaders. Although, there are some encouraging figures, in terms of literacy rate, but still there is much needed to be done to enhance quality of education.

The poverty stricken and vulnerable region needs honest, competent and reformist leadership to elevate the status of deprived folks who have been in deprivation for years. This is high time to welcome change which will be likely only if the glaring rule of accountability is embraced and inculcated. The elected leaders are actually public servants and they must realize governing rules and the worth of a sacred position they have been bestowed. Although bureaucracy is not excluding from this circle, there must be a mechanism in government sector to enlighten employs and leadership with principles of good governance.

There is too little accountability for those involved in public affairs in Pakistan generally and in GB particularly. In this connection, the option of Gilgit Baltistan Accountability Bureau cannot be averted at all after self-governance and de facto status to GB. And this bureau can be a milestone to ensure transparency and evaluate trespasses of bureaucrats and political representatives during their respective tenures.

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One Comment

  1. I was too much annoyed about corruption that was permeated in our Heaven land GB due to irresponsibility of political leadership as well as management. I had shared many things regarding corruption in pamir times that is also repeated here.

    Pamir times
    6/3/2013

    Ali Mehr

    What is corruption in Gb perspective

    Our GB is like a beautiful garden and every person knows that what types of fruits or trees are in it. Like wise all people know each other and hear about one another successes, failures, happiness and sadness. On the same line all observe and notice that how our colleague , relative or friends work in the offices and to what extent are they well known or defame due to their services in organization, in community and in area as well.

    The GBIANS never expect that in our own self government the situation would be so worst that was never witness before even in Dogra raj.

    This would be my none professional approach if would held a single person responsible for this corruption, but at the same time the leadership as well as management cannot abdicate from this responsibility.

    I would do say there are well known honest leaders and officers at top level as well but keeping quietness on corruption also leads their compromising situation with corruption.
    It means all are involved consciously or unconsciously in this social curse.

    All GBIANS would be happy and salute to those secretaries, department heads or ministers who would announce in news papers publicly that their departments are free from all types of corruption and invite the GBIANS to indicate such weaknesses. We need corruption free self govt. in GB.

    It is hoped NAB will further accelerate its grip on corrupt elements. Chief Secretary and his team should also continue their untiring efforts to streamline the systems. Still departments need to change its routines or working culture.

    Yesterday I got opportunity to visit two office regarding follow up of pending cases for last 4 years related to basic human rights. The findings were alarming.

    Alarming Situation:
    1. The office was swept at 10.O clock instead of dealing issues or office routines. The head was not present on seat.
    2. When the office of second in charge was visited he was also not present on his seat. His office boy was in office who was complaining that last three months he has not been paid. His subordinate was unaware about his presence. Embarrassing situation:

    1. It was noticed that a driver joined the office after 1 and 6 months seating at home.

    In past many individuals have recorded their name in Gb history through their selfless services and sacrifices for area and community. Like wise the name of late colonel Mirza Hussan khan and his colleagues comes on the top of the list. They had envisioned the GB purely a peaceful and developed area where the GBians would be able to live independently beyond all the prejudices and hate ness. They had never thought that this piece of heaven would be filled with prejudices and permeate all types of corruption in it. All this is because of some individuals who are deteriorating the society and area through involving in corruption.

    Here we would like to define the word corruption and its types. We also suggest to how it can be reduced if it could not be eliminated.

    Corruption: Corruption is the abused of entrusted power for private gain. It hurts every one who depends on the integrity of people in a position of authority.

    Types of corruptions:

    Systemic corruption:

    As opposed to exploiting occasional opportunities, endemic or systemic corruption is when corruption is an integrated and essential aspect of the economic, social and political system, when it is embedded in a wider situation that helps sustain it. Systemic corruption is not a special category of corrupt practice, but rather a situation in which the major institutions and processes of the state are routinely dominated and used by corrupt individuals and groups, and in which most people have no alternatives to dealing with corrupt officials. Examples might include contemporary Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon and many others.

    Sporadic (individual) corruption:
    Sporadic corruption is the opposite of systematic corruption. Sporadic corruption occurs irregularly and therefore it does not threaten the mechanisms of control nor the economy as such. It is not crippling, but it can seriously undermine morale and sap the economy of resources.

    Political (Grand) corruption:
    Political corruption is any transaction between private and public sector actors through which collective goods are illegitimately converted into private-regarding payoffs. Political corruption is often used synonymously with “grand” or high level corruption, distinguished from bureaucratic or petty corruption because it involves political decision-makers. Political or grand corruption takes place at the high levels of the political system, when politicians and state agents entitled to make and enforce the laws in the name of the people, are using this authority to sustain their power, status and wealth. Political corruption not only leads to the misallocation of resources, but it also perverts the manner in which decisions are made. Political corruption is when the laws and regulations are abused by the rulers, side-stepped, ignored, or even tailored to fit their interests. It is when the legal bases, against which corrupt practices are usually evaluated and judged, are weak and furthermore subject to downright encroachment by the rulers.

    Grand corruption:
    High level or “grand” corruption takes place at the policy formulation end of politics. It refers not so much to the amount of money involved as to the level in which it takes place: grand corruption is at the top levels of the public sphere, where policies and rules are formulated in the first place.

    Petty corruption:
    Small scale, bureaucratic or petty corruption is the everyday corruption that takes place at the implementation end of politics, where the public officials meet the public. Petty corruption is bribery in connection with the implementation of existing laws, rules and regulations, and thus different from “grand” or political corruption Petty corruption refers to the modest sums of money usually involved, and has also been called “low level” and “street level” to name the kind of corruption that people can experience more or less daily, in their encounter with public administration and services like hospitals, schools, local licensing authorities, police, taxing authorities and so on.

    Legal and Moral Corruption:
    Corruption is derived from the Latin verb rump ere, to break. According to this approach, corruption is where the law is clearly broken. This requires that all laws must be precisely stated, leaving no doubts about their meaning and no discretion to the public officials. A legal interpretation of corruption provides a clearly demarcated boundary between what is a corrupt activity and what is not. ‘If an official’s act is prohibited by laws established by the government, it is corrupt; if it is not prohibited, it is not corrupt even if it is abusive or unethical’.

    We know that there are some individuals amongst top management and leadership who are free from this curse and evil. While some are working as agent collecting money for seniors against the jobs. What can be expect with such types of officer or leaders with this wrong behaviour and their ultimate objective is only collecting the money and making property at the cost of its public welfare.

    When a society becomes corrupt then all evils become its parts of practices and ultimately the whole society and area becomes under the trial of natural disaster.
    Now a day it is happening in GB.

    After going through this article we came to conclusion that the main source of our survival and revival is to follow the guiding principles of Islam that is peace, equality, equity, justice, transparency, accountability, honesty and fairness. The western scholars have termed it the rules of good governance. The westerns are following it in their routines and we are so called Muslims violating it.

    I appreciate and salute to those leaders and officers who are raising voice against corruption in the assembly and in their offices and practically taking steps to eliminate this social curse.

    We discourage and condemn those party members, leaders, officers who are becoming the cause of defame for GB and their office and position as well by involving in corruption.

    We would assume that if any department head or relevant secretary does not admonishing to his/her staff involving in corruption means he or she has also equally share in corruption.

    All well wishers of GB need to raise voice against corruption, and corrupt elements.

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