XXVVXII, June 2017

Say No to Corruption

Pakistan’s institutions rank 129 out of 144 countries according to World Economic

Forum’s Executive Opinion Survey 2015 – this is second lowest in the region, just above

Bangladesh

Contact Us:

4-C Mezanine, Khayaban-e-Itehad

Phase VII, DHA Karachi. Phone: 92-21-35311897

Fax: 92-21-35390410

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This quarter marks the completion of Anti-Fraud Hotline (AFH) third quarter of the seventh year of operation.

“Corruption is the biggest reason for the downfall of many societies and civilizations.”

– Abraham Lincoln

TI Pakistan’s Activities:

TI Pakistan’s Citizen Voice Against Corruption project conducted RTI training workshops, Citizen Report Card Study and held meetings with government officials to promote good governance in Pakistan

TI Pakistan in collaboration of USAID/OIG conducted Fraud Awareness and Prevention workshops for Sub-Sub-Grantees, implementing USAID funded projects

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This quarter marks the completion of Anti-Fraud Hotline (AFH) third quarter of the seventh year of operation. AFH continued to receive allegations, reports of fraud and corruption in USAID funded projects from all over the country. During the reporting period, the highest number of complaints pertained to service delivery issues as compared to other allegations. The complaints received are assigned an allegation type based on the nature of corruption, and this helps the investigators at the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in following up the complaints. Some of the most frequent allegations include solicitation of bribe, favors and kickbacks, service delivery issue, theft of USAID funded goods, PPRA

violations or procurement frauds.

AFH also caters to complaints that are not related to USAID initiatives in Pakistan, but may be regarding fraud in projects of other international donors that are carrying out developmental or relief related initiatives in the country or may also be against local organizations. These complaints were referred to the respective organizations, as OIG has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with them. Complaints that are solely related to Pakistan and do not involve funding of international donors are referred to TI Pakistan’s Advocacy and Legal Advice Center (ALAC).

AFH continued to adhere to

This quarter AFH received approximately

3,000 calls, and as a result 101 complaints

were registered. Since its inception in January

2011, AFH has handled over 87,500 calls

complainants with care and concern to ensure that the complaints that are received contain all the elements that may assist OIG in identifying the issues and assist in their investigations. AFH’s multilingual complaint officers are prepared and skilled to understand the complainant’s need and to extract critical information for complaint formulation before it is passed on to the OIG. AFH complaint officers adhere to the guidelines provided by OIG as to the information necessary for successful complaint launch.

The Hotline remained the primary source of complaint generation, whereas other contact mediums such as emails, sms, whatsapp also contributed a fair share in this process. Complaints received from various mediums are dealt with strict confidentiality. Analysis and progress is communicated to USAID/ OIG on weekly and quarterly basis.

This quarter AFH received over 3000 calls, and as a result 101 complaints were registered. AFH has handled over 87,500 calls since its inception in January of 2011. This large volume of calls consequently contributed in the successful registration of over 7,700 complaints. These complaints have resulted in leads of potential corruption in USAID funded projects, and played a pivotal role in assisting USAID OIG in carrying out their investigations. Based on the complaints reported by the AFH, USAID OIG has saved Millions of Dollars, and has made substantial recoveries of embezzled, misappropriated and stolen funds and goods. This highlights the operational success of the project.

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Fraud awareness and prevention

workshop

May 18, 2017:

The workshop was aimed at raising awareness among the Sub-Sub-Grantees that are implementing USAID funded projects regarding

corruption and the measures that can be

adopted to curb corruption in USAID funded projects

TI Pak istan’s Meetings

May 19, 2017:

Office of Inspector (OIG) team visited the office of TI

Pakistan. The team was briefed about the working of Anti-Fraud Hotline. Mr. Chris Reed, Special Agent

In-charge, USAID, OIG appreciated the work of TI

Pakistan and the Anti-Fraud Hotline.

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Citizens’ Voice Against Corruption CVAC is a flagship program of TI Pakistan which empowers citizens to act against corruption

In this quarter, Transparency International Pakistan organized Right to Information training workshops. The first RTI training was conducted on recently passed Sindh Transparency & Right to Information Act 2017 in Jacobabad Sindh on 23rd May 2017. The workshop equipped participants with required skills on how to write application to request access to public information and provided thorough insight into the important sections of the law.

Similarly, on 2nd May 2017, TI Pakistan organized a training session on KPK Right to Information Act 2013 in Tehsil Buni, district Chitral. Number of participants attended the training workshop where TI Pakistan representative gave presentation on various sections of the Act. The participants also learned how to write and RTI application and demonstrated it at the end of workshop.

TI Pakistan’s flagship program Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) also arranged Mobile ALACs in this quarter. On 4th May 2017, the first free legal advice camp was organized in Matta, district Swat.

A large number of people including women turned up with their complaints against Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) and Health Card. They complained against the BISP household eligibility survey carried out by the government which was the measurement whether a particular family is entitled to the grant. It is a hilly area where people face difficulty in transporting water to the people living at the top. So, few villagers also complained against shortage of water supply. On behalf of these complainants, TI Pakistan has written to the concerned authorities.

The second Mobile ALAC was organized in collaboration with Rural Development Foundation (RDF) in district Jamshoro on 24th May 2017. Mr. Asif Solangi, the lawyer, provided free legal advice to the victims and witnesses of corruption. The citizens questioned the transparent utilization of public money and were demanding for basic necessities like clean drinking water, electricity, maintenance of roads and schools in their area.

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Success Story – Sidra, In Pursuit of Justice

In April 2015, Mr. Kamran an influential person of Burewala forcibly entered Mr. Ashraf’s house and shot his daughter dead. At the time of her gruesome murder, Sidra was 21 years old and her crime was to refuse a marriage proposal from her murderer.

Such violence against women is rampant in Pakistan. Especially in rural areas, the judicial system is highly undermined by local traditions whereby people arbitrate such crimes through local Jirgas (elders’ committees) rather than resorting to courts. As a result, the perpetrators are rarely held accountable. Importantly also, people fail to take such cases to the actual dispensers of justice i.e. courts because they lack platform which could guide them better. Keeping in view this, in 2009, TI Pakistan envisioned rendering such a platform through its Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC).

Sidra’s story was brought to TI Pakistan during one of its Mobile ALAC camp organized in Chak 315, Burewala. The victim’s father had gone from pillar to post to lodge the First Information Report (FIR) against the accused. Given that police in rural areas is under the influence of local influentials so to weaken the case, police changed the type of weapon used in murder in the First Information Report. This was done with an intention to sabotage primary evidence of the case. As such cases are examined through Ballistic, forensic investigations, so a difference in the gun and bullets fired would have created a benefit of doubt in favor of the accused. However, to help complainant, TI Pakistan advised the complainant to go to the trial court accompanied by TI Pakistan’s local NGO partner – where the matter was sub-judice and filed an application for the inquiry. Throughout this period, TI Pakistan

ALAC team had remained in constant touch with the complainant and provided assistance from legal advice to actual facilitation on the ground. As a result of these efforts, the trial court ordered forensic inquiry of the bullets and gun and found complainant to be correct.

Though the trial court has released the accused but with legal advice provided by Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC), the victim’s father was able to abandon his fear and encouraged to raise voice for the right of his deceased daughter. The ALAC team also advised the victim to file a criminal acquittal appeal before the High Court. Therefore, the matter is currently sub-judice in the Lahore High Court, Multan branch. Through such efforts, TI Pakistan aims to promote transparent and accountable system in Pakistan where each of its citizens is held equal in the eyes of law.

Promoting Social Accountability – Citizen Report Card

CRC aims to seek feedback on the performance of

public agencies from the actual users of public

services

In this quarter, TI Pakistan conducted a Citizen Report Card Study focused on health sector in district Chitral from 28 April 2017 to 2 May 2017.

The objective of the study was to take feedback on the performance of the government-run hospitals on the availability of basic health facilities such as

medicines, availability of doctors, their behavior with patients and the staff, housekeeping, sanitation, and hygiene conditions.

TI Pakistan also conducted some unstructured interviews with patients, their families, and the doctors about their feedback of the services being provided in these hospitals.

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Promoting Good Governance

In this quarter, TI Pakistan representative met with Medical Superintendent (MS) of Tehsil Head Quarter (THQ), Darosh and on 2 May 2017, he met with Assistant Commissioner (AC), Bunni to discuss issues related to locals regarding service delivery.

The AC informed that citizens could easily complain to him and he is available for them. Similarly the MS at Darosh said that unavailability of medicines is due to the medicines not released by the District Head Quarter (DHQ) hospital. TI Pakistan later wrote a letter to Health Minister and informed about this problem.

On 26 April 2017, TI Pakistan representative met with Mr. Obaid Mayaar (MPA KPK, Assembly). TI Pakistan told the MPA about the organization’s efforts for transparency, accountability and good governance and sought his support in this endeavor. Mr. Mayaar who is a very young politician promised his support and commitment to all just causes