http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_w07FcnN9o
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
By Ahmad Noorani
ISLAMABAD: At least one confirmed source of harassment and threats to journalists not liked by the ruling PPP has finally been detected when a threat sent through an SMS to senior Islamabad journalist, Ansar Abbasi, was traced by authorities and found to be coming from Ali Wahab Siddiqui, the son of PPP information secretary Fauzia Wahab.
Ali Wahab, talking to The News, admitted the ownership of his mobile number: 0333-2182500, from which these threats were sent to editor (investigations) The News, Islamabad. Wahab said he stands by his messages sent to Ansar and initially refused to offer an apology when caught red-handed.
The exact words of one of such messages received by Ansar Abbasi from Ali Wahab’s cell number on December 18, 2009 were: “I am waiting for the day where the only achi khabar will be of ur being fired or ur death. Jamati” (I am waiting for the day when only good news will be of your being fired or your death. Jamati).
When PPP leader Fauzia Wahab was told about the threatening message and her son’s arrogance and daring, Fauzia Wahab sought an apology. Subsequently, Ali Wahab also sought an apology through a text message.
According to Ansar Abbasi, different people send messages appreciating or criticising him for his work. These messages sometimes even contain abuses but he had never cared. “However, messages from this number especially the one containing the words “fired or death” disturbed me very much and I filed a complaint with the FIA Cyber Investigations Wing and also started my own probe.”
Ansar said: “I was shocked to learn when the authorities confirmed to me that it was none other than the son of the ruling PPP’s information secretary.” He hopes the PPP government will strictly follow the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance, 2009.
Ansar said some of the messages sent by Ali Wahab to him were highly contemptuous against top judges, words that could not even be written in a news story. According to documents available with The News, Ansar filed a complaint with Shahid Nadim Baloch, who is head of the Cyber Crimes Investigation Wing in the FIA’s headquarters.
Shahid Nadim, when approached by The News, said he had received Ansar’s complaint and after coming to know that this was a Karachi number has referred the complaint to FIA’s Karachi office where FIA Director Cyber Crimes Wing, Mir Zubair and Additional Director Ahsanullah will investigate the case under the law.
When asked if the crime is established what could be the punishment under the law, he said under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance, 2009 any person against whom allegations are established could be imprisoned for a maximum of seven years. He said the FIA is still investigating the matter.
However, Ali Wahab, while talking to The News, said there was no need for any investigation to determine the ownership of his cell number as among the many messages he had sent to Ansar, in three different messages he had even mentioned his full name.
However, Ansar refuted Ali’s statement, saying he has kept one month’s record of all messages sent by Ali and he (Ali) never wrote his name or identified himself. Ali in his first call was of the view he stood by his messages sent to Ansar but he also said according to his view there was no threat in his messages and that it were his feelings. His mother Fauzia talked to this correspondent calmly and on knowing about harassment messages sought an apology.
However, it is worth mentioning that the apology was sought by Fauzia Wahab when details and evidence of her son’s involvement in such an episode were revealed.
Later, Ali Wahab wrote a message to Ansar Abbasi which, besides containing an apology as was promised by his mother, also contained some pieces of advice for Ansar Abbasi. The exact words of this message are: “Dear, Mr Ansar Abbasi, I can’t believe my utterances have made you investigate who I was. Just like yourself I am also a patriotic Pakistani; however, having different views to yours. From the outset, I offer my sincere apologies if you have felt harassed. Had my person been a harasser, my personal phone would never have been used. I have at least on three occasions told you my name. Do note that your pen has power which shouldn’t portray bias and create ill-will against the leadership of our great nation. My world is Pakistan and I will always give my utmost to safeguard this world. Life is short and we have to have a meaningful vision in life. If not then we stand to be part of a vision of unwanted elements. My best wishes for a fruitful and healthy life for you. Ali Wahab”.
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Kamran Khan, Shaheen Sehbai, Ansar Abbasi, Dr Shahid under fire in PPP meeting
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
News Desk
RAWALPINDI: The PPP Punjab President Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan and senior provincial minister Raja Riaz Ahmad Khan have declared that enough is enough and from now on the party would adopt the course of confrontation instead of the traditional conciliatory policy so far adopted.
They said Kamran Khan, Shaheen Sehbai, Ansar Abbasi and Dr Shahid Masood should not become movers and shakers in politics. The hands of those who are attempting to demolish the government would be amputated.
They were talking at the PPP provincial secretariat in Lahore on Monday after presiding over the meeting of the party’s executive council, federal council, district presidents and general secretaries. They said right from the beginning our politics had been based on ideology.
They warned that those targeting the Aiwan-e-Sadr and residing in palaces built of glass would not be spared. They said the PPP had offered tremendous sacrifices for democracy and the country’s security. Now that we are in power it is because of the leadership of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari.
Raja Riaz said power to the PPP had not come through charity but because of a heavy mandate given by the people. Criticising a private TV channel, he warned Kamran Khan and Dr Shahid Masood to avoid becoming champions of politics. The hands of those who tried to dismantle the democratic government will be amputated.
Expressing complete confidence in the party leadership Raja Riaz said the PPP is facing a media trial but everyone must know that the party and Pakistan are inseparable.
PPP leaders also criticised Shaheen Sehbai, Group Editor of The News, and Ansar Abbasi, Editor Investigations of The News for their writings. It was alleged that Ansar Abbasi writes an elegy every day.
Earlier while addressing the meeting, PPP Punjab General Secretary Samiullah Khan said the party of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed would not be run according to “Terey, Merey Mutabiq” but the aspirations of the people. Lambasting a television channel, he said out of the 841 NRO beneficiaries only one man and the Swiss case was being singled out. Samiullah said the PPP would resist if the judiciary oversteps its constitutional mandate.
The PPP Punjab President Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan warned each and every organisation to confine their activities within the given parameters. He said we are not afraid of jails or police stations as we consider them as medals. Rana Aftab lambasted the intriguers and others who had launched criticism of the party leadership and said henceforth they will be confronted with full force.
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People’s Party pushing favourites in cushy jobs
Thursday, July 03, 2008
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: After some highly controversial appointments of exiled friends on lucrative positions, the PPP-led coalition government is now pushing favourites and party loyalists for important jobs.
This is being done in such a hurry that in some cases, private recommendation letters on the PPP letterheads are also being forwarded, along with federal ministers’ directives, to different government agencies. Such party letters today make part of official files.
These appointments are being made in addition to those being processed through the Task Force on Recruitment, which is seen as the latest version of the previously ill reputed Peoples Placement Bureau.
The Task Force, as reported earlier, is headed by two political appointees and close associates of Asif Ali Zardari, one of them enjoying the status of a federal minister. It primarily deals with BS-1 to BS-16 appointments in the government departments.
Official documents, including directives issued by some of the federal ministers, available with The News, show it is yet another crude method of appointment, proving that favouritism instead of merit and the rule of law was being followed.
In one case, Information Minister Sherry Rehman, who is also acting as the health minister, has recommended the appointment of a PPP supporter in London as adviser, special assistant or consultant to the health minister or “against any suitable post falling under the health ministry”.
On a PPP letterhead, one Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, deputy coordinator Peoples Business Forum, writes to the information minister on May 20:
“Dear Ms Sherry Rehman: Dr Mukhtar Bhutto, a diehard PPP supporter, had close contacts with Shaheed Benazir Bhutto in London. Our Quaid also helped him in his medical studies in the UK. Dr Mukhtar Bhutto was a great support to me in my election campaign. I am forwarding his letter of request with his CV for your kind consideration for any suitable position with the request to kindly do the needful.”
The attached CV of the PPP supporter, which too is now part of official record, says: “I am a strong devotee of my beloved mother like the Pakistan People’s Party...” He sees the information minister as a “Roshan Meenar” for the party workers and hopes that he would not be disappointed and given the opportunity “to serve Pakistan and Pakistani, subsequently our Pakistan People’s Party”.
Following the receipt of the above recommendation, the information minister’s office formally referred the case to the secretary health under the signatures of Rao Tehsin Ali Khan, Director General, to information minister.
The recommendation letter of Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig and the CV of Dr Mukhtar Bhutto were also attached with the request formally referred to the secretary health. The letter issued by Sherry Rehman’s office on June 5 said:
“Enclosed please find an application of Dr Mukhtar Bhutto, recommended by Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Deputy Coordinator, People’s Business Forum, requesting for appointment as Adviser/Special Assistant/Consultant to the Ministry of Health or any suitable alternative in the said Ministry....”
Since the health ministry could not appoint adviser, special assistant or consultant on its own and without the approval of the prime minister, it forwarded the minister’s directive, along with attached recommendation letter and the CV to all programme managers and project coordinators, leading health projects under the health ministry, with the request that they should indicate the position as per qualification of the PPP supporter for his appointment.
In yet another case, a PPP MNA Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi approached the health minister with a request that a serving income additional commissioner Dr Malik Muhammad Khan Awan should be appointed in any of the leading health ministry programmes.
Despite the fact that inviting such political interference into service matters by a serving bureaucrat tantamounts to misconduct under the Estacode — the book of law, rules, policies, etc, governing civil bureaucracy — still Sherry Rehman’s Director General Rao Tehsin Ali Khan wrote to the secretary health: “Enclosed please find a self-explanatory request of Dr Malik Muhammd Khan Awan, Additional Commissioner, Legal-I, Large Taxpayer Unit, Lahore, on the subject above (Requisition of services of Dr Malik Muhammad Khan Awan from Federal Board of Revenue to Ministry of Health) noted above. The minister has desired that a report may please be sent to this office for the issuance of orders of the minister.”
The health ministry in this case too, referred the minister’s directive, along with the taxman’s application, to all programme managers and project coordinators under it to indicate the vacant position as per Awan’s qualification for onward submission of a report to the health minister (read information minister).
Sherry Rehman, when contacted, denied that she had issued any such directive to any government department. When asked that the directives were issued by her office under the signatures of her DG, she expressed her ignorance, saying, “Not that I know of.”
The information minister said that MNAs and others, including journalists, bring job requests to her but she never compromises on merit and seeks appointments only through the Placement Bureau (she probably meant Task Force on Recruitment).
While there are reports of several other ministers involved in similar practices, Sherry Rehman’s case is interesting for the reason that she is one of the foreign qualified ministers, who during her journalistic carrier, has been reflecting on the issue of merit, good governance and the rule of law.
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