A tale of Corruption – Ajab Ghazab ki

Corruption Kahani
by Usman Zahid on 2010/06/03
In recent times a lot has been written and said about the increasing corruption in the country. It
seems that corruption has engulfed our entire society from a clerk to the President; and
corruption has taken the space of oxygen in the government offices. It is a fact that corruption
has worsened here in Pakistan as evident from one of our previous posts. We accept the fact that
we are the leading Islamic nation; in every way but when it comes to corruption we justify it as a
our means to a living since the cost of living has gone up; and we have other reasons to justify it
but I guess whatever you say corruption can never be justified.
I would like to tell you about the corruption that a friend of mine has encountered on three
occasions, which he narrated to me. Around early January, 2010 a tender was floated for the
Prime Minister Secretariat; and as per the regulations he bought the tender form but a night
before the tender he was called by an unidentified person claiming that the tender has been sold
already for Rs 500,000 to a party and that he should not participate in the tender; but taking the
call as fake I went to the Prime Minister House for the tender; next day. But guess what he was
stopped at the gate and was told that the tender is not today even after showing the documents
and tender advertisement; the person at the gate told him that they have told us not to send any
party inside for the tender. Dejected and spiritless he returned to his office.
Anyhow after he narrated this incident to many people including me; he was told that if he wants
to get a tender he has to indulge in this pre-tender bargaining with the authorities. This time a
tender for Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi was floated and he decided to participate and
indulge in the pre-tender bargaining; he went to the hospital and met with the Deputy Medical
Superintendent who made him meet the Medical Superintendent and they exchanged
pleasantries and phone numbers; later he got the call from the DMS who asked him that how
interested is he in the tender and he told him that he really wanted the tender as business is
deteriorating and he need some this tender badly; his advice to him was to meet him in a private
hospital later in the evening; where he discussed how much will it take for me to buy the tender;
to the utter surprise he started from Rs 600,000 and the negotiations on this price carried on for a
week till we agreed on Rs 300,000 and 15% share from the bills for the entire year. Next day he
called him to his official office and they had a meeting with Medical Superintendent and he was
glad to know that we have finalized the amount; he was told that he will have to pay 50% before
the tender and remaining 50% on the date of the day when his company will be awarded the
tender. Being his first time he took the first 50% payment in the form of cheque and to his utter
dismay he told him that it seems he does not want the tender; as cheques are never given;
therefore he gave him an hour to get the cash; after rushing through the bank he went inside the
guest room of the Medical Superintendent where the cash was handed over and counted. The
same day they helped him fill in the tender and formalities were completed.
On the date of tender there was another party competing; after opening of the tender a new
clause was put forth and as a result it was decided to re-tender. At the time when the tender was
reopened it was decided that my friend had low rates and the tender was awarded to him. After
taking the tender he made the last payment to them and thought it will be happily ever after.
Less did he know that when time came for the first payment; not only the DMS and MS failed to
cooperate but also told him that he need to make their 15% share payment upfront as a result he
had to do so. But even after 2 weeks no payment was made; on my friend’s constant visits and
inquiries he was told that hospital has expired, its funds and he should wait for the budget to
come. So for next one month or so he kept on providing the service without any payment; and
when the time came for the payment he was told that his bills have been returned by the store
department due to an objection and the objection did not seem valid to him after a lot of visits to
the store keeper, it was told to him that since the store keeper was not told his share in the bills
he cannot pass the bills forward; after long discussion and negotiation his share of 2% per bill
was finalized.
Finally the bills reached the accounts branch and from there to the central office where the
cheques were signed by the Principal of the Rawalpindi Medical College; and guess what the
secretary of the Principal asked for his share else the cheque would never be signed; after giving
him up front cash; my friend finally got the payment of his 1 month’s cheque; thinking that
corruption is too much in the country; but as per the government’s procedure the cheque has to
be first cleared and attested by court; where the person attesting asked for a fixed Rs 1,500 per
cheque and finally the payment was released; this process will continue till the tender expires
after 12 months; so for next 12 months he will have to be hurled from one place to another to get
his payments!
And the most recent story my friend narrated to me was; a tender of President House; yet again
as the Tender was floated on the government’s site http://www.ppra.org.pk; an employee of his
firm was sent to buy the tender form but this time the in-charge questioned his employee that
from did he got this news of tender and after he presented the printed copy of the tender
advertisement on the site the in-charge not only tore the tender but also humiliated the employee
calling him illiterate and threatening him for keeping illegal contacts with internal employees of
President House.
As a matter of fact the tender had already been sold and this time to avoid any problem the
tender forms were not being issued!
Alas God bless my country but with this type of clerks, duty officers and such purchase orders;
we wonder why the corruption level is so high in the country! It is not only the politicians that
are eating my country’s resources but such unfaithful servants of the nation that have hoisted the
flag of corruption! I wonder why not all the Ulammahs of the country declare (Fatwa) corruption
as illegal (haram) and anyone found in it; is liable to death sentence! This is the only way we
stop this corruption!