Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Iqbal Mahmood on Monday said that it would not be appropriate to require approval from any authority before arresting a corruption suspect by the commission as it is an independent organisation. He made the remark when journalists approached him for his comments over the cabinet-approved draft of Civil Service Bill 2018. As per the bill a public servant cannot be arrested before being charged in any criminal case and only after necessary approval from the authorities concerned.
After a long hibernation when the ACC is about to wake up to hunt comparatively minor corrupt officials in public and private sectors, the government for protecting its power base has devised the controversial bill to award protection to civil servants. We see the ill-motivated section of the bill is a sharp contradiction of the basic principles of the Constitution and the spirit of Liberation War.
The bill approved by the cabinet on August 20 said a civil servant will be expelled if he or she is convicted with more than one-year jail sentence or higher penalty from the day of conviction while convictions of less than one year of imprisonment and fine to employees will be regarded as lesser offence by the appointing authorities. In that case, as per the draft, the employee will face departmental actions, including demotion, suspension of salary and scolding.
It is not the first time. In November 2013, parliament passed a bill introducing a controversial provision that requires the ACC to take the government’s permission before filing cases against civil servants. But the Supreme Court came up to protect the dignity of the ACC and made the provision illegal also terming it against the spirit of the Constitution.
A corrupt and unpopular government depending on bureaucrats for its survival will do everything to protect corruption of the officials and ministers. It has become a characteristic of our ministers and public servants to talk big and brave without meaning. We do not know whose government it is because it does not care to hold a free election. But the fact remains corruption is the source of power for the government yet no action for corruption against the powerful players in the government has been taken by the ACC. The situation is that our people trust and not trust anybody enjoying state power to act for the benefit of the people.
Let the Chairman of ACC prove he meant what he said and investigate against sitting minister or government adviser.
