QUETTA: Most of the people in Balochistan are still in a state of shock and dismay following the formal announcement that the Executive Board Meeting of the National Accountability Bureau had accepted the plea bargain application from former Finance Secretary, Mushtaq Raisani, and a local contractor for Plea Bargain. People of Pakistan hated the plea bargain clause of the accountability laws since the days of Admiral Mansul Haq, the former Naval Chief involved in the French submarine case. It was a total disgrace on the part of the former Naval Chief.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan took the lead in criticizing the NAB in handling corruption cases. A number of benches of superior courts had also passed strong remarks against the NAB and its mishandling the corruption cases. In some case, the NAB officials were accused of corruption, harassing the people only to extort dirty money.

In case of the biggest financial scandal in the Government of Balochistan, NAB found more than Rs 650 million in cash, foreign currency and jewellery from the official residence of Mushtaq Raisani followed by the arrest of Khalid Lango and his front man Sohail Majeed Shah, a contractor and son of a retired engineer.

The huge recovery of cash raised very high hopes among the common people all over the country that now time has come to check rampant corruption in Balochistan by severely punishing the corrupt, particularly those caught red handed.

There was a disappointment when the people came to know that the accused persons are spared through Plea Bargain. Recovery of some cash or substantial cash is not important for the common people.

They want to see the corrupt, particularly those caught red handed are punished severely and they should remain in jail for 50 years and all their property confiscated in favour of the State.

The accused persons are spared through plea bargain and being released as the NAB people agreed to receive some cash. Presumably, the NAB officers also get some share from the recovered money as reward for successful unearthing the criminal cases and proving the case in the court of law or manipulating the things compelling the accused under stress to conclude a bargain and surrender some parts of the booty.

Some of the high officials were found defending the concept of Plea Bargain giving no importance to the idea of deterrent punishment to the corrupt and dishonest who embezzled public fund. They claimed that it was part of the laws and thus implemented.

But why the NAB Board chose to Plea Bargain instead of seeking conviction both jail and heavy fine of the culprits involved in corruption. Why not the NAB officials are not selecting the questionable clauses of Plea Bargain? Why they are interested in particular this clause?

The Government and the entire Parliament should amend the laws and bar the NAB from using the Plea Bargain clause as the superior courts and powerful media had already raised eye brows on it.

Balochistan is a peculiar and sensitive region where insurgency taking place for the past many decade and prestige of the Government and the State is at high stake where corruption should have no room.

The man was officially in-charge of entire Provincial Budget spread over to hundreds of billion rupees on yearly basis. He governed the finance Department as the top boss for three consecutive years or during the first tenure of the present Provincial Coalition Government. Meaning he was master of more than Rs 800 billion. Barring the salaries to the public servants in the Province, he managed all other funds with the consent of the former Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and Adviser to the Chief Minister on Finance {who is also a co-accused in the case}.

It is strange to claim that one individual had committed such a huge corruption and others are not involved, it is unbelievable to any extent. It is suspected that the plea bargain was meant to save the neck of other co-accused and the NAB wanted to hush up the entire case to defend the other culprits. The NAB, though its conduct, should prove it wrong. It is the common belief of the people of Balochistan or entire Pakistan.

Corrupt had never been punished in Balochistan where corruption is rampant for decades. Rather the people are getting a right or wrong impression that corruption is being patronized at the cost of well being of the common people.

If the NAB will insist on plea bargain with Mushtaq Raisani and others, then it will continue to be treated as an incentive to corruption encouraging the corrupt and dishonest to spare a small part of the booty for plea bargain.

The people will continue to face backwardness, rampant poverty among the Balochistan. According to unofficial sources, around 78 per cent of the Baloch population is living under extreme poverty or below poverty line in economic terms.

All the NFC Awards, Federal receipts international assistance and loans are for the corrupt people and it will never be allowed to reach the people. The classic case if the MPA development funds since 1985 partyless election gone to the drain and never reached the people in any part of Balochistan.

It is the responsibility of the State institutions to effective check massive corruption and improve governess and take the broad masses out of the darkness in a planned manner. They should start with deterrent punishment to the corrupt elements ensuring that they will have to live in prison during their entire life if caught in corrupt practices.

We will not favour the Chinese model to execute the corrupt whosoever they may be. We prefer that the corrupt should remain in jail for his entire life so that it is lesson for others to serve the state and its poor people honestly.