KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet on Saturday approved a new accountability law that envisages establishment of a high-powered body to conduct inquiries against provincial bureaucrats, employees and office-holders.

The cabinet also approved repealing of the Removal from Service Ordinance, 2000, enhancement of disabled persons’ quota in government jobs and tabling of the captive power plants subsidy bill in the assembly again.

All the government bills are likely to be tabled before the Sindh Assembly’s session beginning on Monday.

The cabinet meeting was presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the New Sindh Secretariat.

The cabinet discussed the observations of the Sindh governor on The National Accountability Ordinance 1999 Sindh Repeal Bill, 2017 passed by the Sindh Assembly recently.

The governor raised some constitutional observations and called upon the provincial assembly to reconsider the bill and reject it, said a government spokesman without elaborating. The cabinet discussed the observations of the governor and unanimously approved a new draft bill — The Sindh Accountability Act 2017 — and referred it to the provincial assembly.

Job quota for disabled persons likely to be increased from two to five per cent

If passed, the Sindh Accountability Act 2017 would apply to all office-holders who are performing their functions in connection with affairs and employment of the government funds in the province.

The Sindh Accountability Agency would be headed by its chairperson. There would be an Accountability Commission consisting of chairperson of the agency; advocate general, prosecutor general of the agency; director general of the agency; and director investigation to review the progress of cases involving corrupt practices.

The chairperson would be a retired judge of the Sindh High Court or would be qualified to be the judge of the high court; civil servant of grade-21 or above with proven competence, good reputation and high integrity.

The chairperson of the agency shall be nominated by a parliamentary committee of the Sindh Assembly comprising six members — three each from treasury and opposition benches — named by the leader of the house and the leader of the opposition, respectively. The committee shall be headed by the speaker of the Sindh Assembly.

The new law would repeal the Sindh Enquiries and Anti-Corruption Act, 1991 and rules made there under and all cases pending with the Anti-Corruption Establishment under the repealed act; employees recruited by the Anti-Corruption Establishment and all assets and liabilities, including furniture, fixtures machinery and vehicles would stand transferred to the agency.

Forensic science lab to be set up in Karachi

Among other issues discussed by the cabinet included establishment of the Sindh Forensic Science Laboratory at Karachi with the objective to create a facility for forensic examination of material, documents, etc, for presentation before courts, tribunals or other legal authorities.

The lab would have different facilities such as audio-visual analysis, computer forensics, crime-scene investigation; DNA and serology, forensic photography, narcotics, toxicology, trace chemistry, polygraph; firearm and tool marks; latent fingerprints; pathology and questioned documents.

Officials said the PC-I of the laboratory project had already been approved at an approximate cost of Rs2.7 billion. The project will be completed in 30 months.

The cabinet also approved the Sindh Forensic Science Agency Act 2017 for its placement before the provincial legislature.

The cabinet discussed as well enhancement of quota for disabled persons from two per cent to five per cent.

Earlier, under the Sindh Civil Servants Act, 1973 there was two per cent quota for disabled persons in government jobs. The cabinet approved the amendment to be placed before the assembly.

During discussion on the Removal From Service (Special Powers) Sindh, Ordinance 2000, Advocate General Zamir Ghumro informed the cabinet that the law conferred arbitrary powers on the competent authority in violation of the fundamental rights conferred by the Constitution and the law, and that “specific laws relating to this subject are already in the field, hence this law is not required”.

The cabinet approved repeal of the law.

The other issue the cabinet discussed was the Sindh New Captive Power Plants Subsidy Bill 2017 passed by the assembly, but referred back to the house by the governor for reconsideration.

The cabinet discussed the objections raised by the Sindh governor and said the subsidy was being given for a specific purpose to reduce loadshedding at local level (where powers plants are installed). “Therefore, the bill is not in contravention of any law and is only ... for the benefit of general public.”

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2017