THE Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission Ordinance was promulgated in 2019, but it lapsed in 120 days during which the government of the time did not even set up a commission. A draft bill was enacted to be laid before the National Assembly.

On Feb 4, 2021, the 21-member Standing Committee on Law and Justice unanim-ously decided that it did not want to process the ordinance.

In fact, the committee recommended that the bill may not be passed by the National Assembly. As such, it was clear that the promulgation of the ordinance was nothing but a bid to pay lip service to a critical matter.

All civilised and developed countries have a discrete check on corruption and maladministration. The informer, or whistleblower, is not only protected, but is given 20 per cent reward of the recovered amount.

The people at the helm of affairs should now give a serious thought to the matter, and restore the ordinance. An effective commission should be formed urgently.

Azhar Hussain
Lahore

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2024