Zardari asked not to accept house gifted from Malik Riaz
(Shahzad Shameem, Abbottabad)
The Transparency International
Pakistan has asked President Asif Ali Zardari not to accept the gift of Rs 5
billion ‘bullet-proof house’ built for him over 200 kanals in Bahria Town,
Lahore, by real estate tycoon Malik Riaz.
TIP Adviser Syed Adil Gilani informed Salman Faruqi, Secretary-General to
President Zardari, in a letter on Wednesday that in accordance with the rules
and instructions relating to the Conduct of Government Servants (Conduct) Rules
1964, the gift should not be accepted.
Mr Gilani quoted Section 5(I) which reads: “Gifts. (1) Save as otherwise
provided in this rule, no government servant shall, except with the previous
sanction of the government, accept, or permit any member of his family to
accept, from any person any gift the receipt of which will place him under any
form of official obligation to the donor. If, however, due to very exceptional
reasons, a gift cannot be refused, the same may, under intimation to the Cabinet
Division, be kept for official use in the department or organisation in which he
is working.”
The TIP adviser said that press reports had not been denied by anyone, and it
was therefore assumed that the news about the house built and gifted by Malik
Riaz to President Zardari was correct. If the news reports were correct, the
Transparency International requested the secretary general of the president to
process the gift of house to be transferred to the government of Pakistan.
Mr Gilani’s letter concluded with the stand that the “Transparency International
Pakistan is striving to have transparency in procedures and rule of law in
Pakistan, which is the only way to eliminate corruption and have good governance
in the country.” Copy of the letter has also been sent to the chairmen of the
Public Accounts Committee and the NAB, the finance minister and the registrar of
the Supreme Court.
https://dawn.com/2013/02/14/zardari-asked-not-to-accept-house-gifted-by-riaz/
Zardari asked not to accept house gifted from Malik Riaz