Punjab warns bureaucrats against misuse of authority

Services and General Administration (S&GAD) department in a letter written to all the ministers, Secretaries, Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners has warned them against misusing their authorities.

ARY News has got a copy of the letter which was written following pressure from National Accountability Bureau.

Earlier, the NAB authorities had written to the Chief Secretary Punjab on January 26, 2016 where it had cited the Supreme Court orders in Criminal Appeal no 264 of 2006 titled “The State versus Anwar Saif Ullah Khan S/o Saif Ullah” case. In this case the Supreme Court has strongly condemned the government servants of misusing their authority and restrained ministers and legislators from exerting pressure upon civil servants for political advantage.

The Supreme Court in its judgment had directed the Chairman NAB for bringing the judgment to the notice of all the federal and provincial ministers, and administrative secretaries and divisions and departments. The judgment explains that these ministers and bureaucrats or their subordinates misuse their authority to gain any benefit or willfully fail to exercise their authority to prevent the grant or rendition of any undue benefit or favour which they could have prevented by exercising their authority than they will be treated as equally criminal under NAB laws.

The judgment further states that the deadly alliance between politicians and their unholy collaboration not only damages merit, weaken the state structure but also promote injustice in the society. The apex court had concluded its judgment with the warning that the courts and the NAB would not tolerate such predators and would come heavily upon them.

Following the court and pressure from the NAB authorities, the S&GAD had moved the copies of this judgment to its senior officers and ministers with the warning for complying the directions in the letter with letter and spirit.