Daily Times

Sir: I was deeply saddened to see the items that have been frequenting daily newspapers about the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) since the removal of its chairman, Mr Muhammad Ali, mudslinging the commissioners, the former chairman and now even the employees. This includes a report published in this paper titled ‘SECP becomes battleground over appointments’ (Daily Times, May 3, 2013). This shows the state of affairs the apex regulator of the corporate sector of Pakistan has collapsed into since April 12, 2013 — the date of removal of the former chairman. There is clearly intended to make the apex regulator a laughing stock and encourage conspirators. This is the fate of Pakistan’s economy. Everything is politicised. How has the internal decision of the appointment of a media consultant become a newsworthy and contentious issue?

If the internal people of the SECP are busy giving out incorrect statements about their colleagues to newspapers, then I wonder if it is a never ending affair and will ultimately damage the institution. Have we, as a nation, become so petty? If the consultant is not even getting a salary, then he is obviously working pro-bono for the organisation, which, to my mind, is a public service, given the mandate of the SECP. The allegations about ‘whitening black money’ are now outdated and old. All this is being published conveniently one week before the elections and this is clearly vindictive. Everyone needs to understand that we are supposed to be working for the benefit of the Pakistani public, not indulging in petty politics and lobbying for power.

FARHAN KHALID

Islamabad