Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has said that the essence of the whistleblower law is to eliminate corruption and corrupt practices in the public affairs and the governance related issues strengthening the check and balance mechanism in all spheres of public dealings including the judicial utilization of hard earned public resources.

He was presiding over a meeting of the select committee on proposed whistle blower act at the Provincial Assembly Secretariat Peshawar today. Senior Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan, Minister Law Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi, MPAs Muhammad Ali Shah, Jafar Shah and Mehmood Bittani and relevant officials attended the meeting.

The meeting took for debate the relevant law and discussed its various sections. The participants presented certain amendments to the proposed law and made certain recommendations to make it more effective and reconciled with ground reality. Addressing the participants, the Chief Minister said that the set of legislations his government brought about would lead to open and transparent governance in the province. These laws would bring an end to corruption and corrupt practices and would determine the level of authority and the responsibility attached to these authorities.

He said that the whistle blower would also be a check to discourage commission and would ensure that whatever was indicated in the PC-I of any developmental scheme would have to be on ground. The government would spurn into action for any mismatch in this regard and action could be initiated against the corrupt practices.

He also agreed to the composition of a commission to be headed by a chairman with three-year terms for members. The commission would have to complete its inquiry within 60 days. The Whistleblowers Act would also have some safeguards for the protection of whistle blowers against any victimisation and disadvantages position. However, if any mala fide intentions were found, this protection would be commensurate with the punishment of 500,000 rupees and three years imprisonment. The Chief Minister directed the relevant quarters to prepare a mechanism for the enforcement of the law, once it is passed by the Assembly and the victim would be allowed to claim compensation.