PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will establish an autonomous and independent anti-graft commission and accountability courts under the Ehtesab Commission Bill 2013 presented and referred to a select committee of the provincial assembly.
The bill is part of the reform agenda of the PTI for the establishment of good governance and discouraging corruption and corrupt practices.
Under the legislation, the government would establish a five-member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission.
The commission comprising commissioners would be nominated by the Search and Scrutiny Committee and confirmed by the Legislative Committee on Governance and Accountability in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
Within one month, after the commencement of this Act, the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly in consultation with treasury and opposition would constitute a Legislative Committee, on governance and accountability.
This committee would have powers to confirm nominees for the Search and Scrutiny Committee; nominees for the office of commissioners of the commission, reject nominee, commissioners or members of the Search and Scrutiny Committee by three-forth majority vote and review the report presented to it by the commission.
The commission would have the powers to appoint the Director General, Prosecutor General and Director Internal Monitoring and Public Complaints Wing for the smooth functioning of the commission and effective discharge of the statutory obligations of the same; approve organizational structure and position to be filled in by employees, approval annual budget, approve regulation required to be made under this Act, issue policy guidelines, oversee the overall performance of the commission, its officers and employees: Provided that the Commissioners would not engage directly or indirectly with an accused or other party involved with a complaint or case under investigation or prosecution or otherwise being considered by the Director General, enquired into any allegation of corruptions and corrupt practices within the commission, as it may consider necessary for the efficient implementation of the Act.
The Commission may meet, once in a month, as often as necessary, for the effective performance of its functions. For any meeting of the commission, two thirds of the commissioners would constitute a quorum.
Within 30 days of the commencement of this Act, the government would take necessary steps to establish a number of Ehtestab Courts as may be necessary to ensure expeditious disposal of cases.
The bill under schedule has identified offences and punishments to be awarded by the court in this regard.
PTI CONDEMNS MINISTER’S KILLING
LAKKI MARWAT - Activists of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf have strongly condemned the suicide attack that had killed provincial law minister Sardar Israrullah Gandapur and eight others in Kulachi tehsil of DI Khan district on the first day of Eidul Azha.
At a meeting held here on Friday with District President Salim Nawaz Khan and General Secretary Ahmad Nawaz in the chair, the party workers said that killing of Israrullah Gandapur at the hands of terrorists was an irreparable loss to the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
They called upon the federal government to take practical and solid steps to curb the menace of terrorism and militancy.
Speaking at the meeting, Saleem Nawaz and Ahmad Nawaz said that people would be empowered through local bodies’ elections to decide about development and uplift of their respective localities.
They said that the new local government system would help bring development at the grassroots level and change the lot of people.
