ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered a reduction of the number of check posts on highways while taking note of reports of money being extorted on the transport of goods at check posts on highways.
The PM’s letter titled, ‘Corrupt Practices at Check Posts,’ a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today revealed that the prime minister has taken notice of the rampant rent-seeking by check posts on goods being transported via highways by agencies including the police, excise, customs, rangers, FC (Frontier Constabulary) and the coast guard.
The highways mentioned in the PM’s letter includes national Highways i-e Karachi to Torkhum route, Karachi-Chaman route among others.
The letter has directed concerned authorities to clamp down on their respective departments.
Apart from increasing the cost of transportation and doing business, ‘this extortion,’ being committed by security and law enforcement agencies created inconvenience for the pubic, corrupted society and brought a bad name to government institutions, the letter stated.
“This exercise of getting illegal gratification and extortion is ample proof of either weak supervisory regime or implied connivance of this activity.”
The letter went on to state that the government’s Efficiency and Discipline (E&D) rules were being violated and implied that money collected through illegal means was being distributed among the senior ranks of the departments involved.
The PM directed the respective organization and (local and provincial) governments to revise the SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).
The letter ordered for the reduction of the number of check posts where possible and called for coordination with other stakeholders/organizations who have established check-posts nearby to have certain check posts converted into multi-agency common check posts.
The letter also called for the supervisory role to be made more effective.
“Simultaneously, an evidence-based survey is being commissioned to get specific vis-à-vis (the) modus operandi for this illegal extortion regime and to put a quantitative tag on the issue,” the letter stated.
The letter further called for the PM’s directive to be implemented no later than Oct 5 after which action would be taken against supervisory officers, which include administrative head(s) of ministry/organization, department concerned, adding that “In case where no action is taken against the supervisory officer by the concerned administrative officer, action will be initiated against Chief Secretaries, IGs (Inspector Generals), DGs (Director Generals).”
It is pertinent to mention that all the concerned department/organizations have been advised to take immediate action to implement the above said directions and a report thereof would be submitted within the given timeline.
