Anonymous e-mail allegations to defame CCP termed 'nothing but junk'

The Chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Senator Ahmed Ali, categorically declared on Tuesday that anonymous e-mail with allegations of corruption to defame the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) is nothing but junk, and should be thrown in the dust bin.
All members of the committee were of the view that if someone is performing well and doing his or her job like Rahat Kaunain Hassan, should be appreciated instead of maligning in baseless issues. "You don't have to worry, and you are doing a good job which needs to be appreciated", most of the senators said, assuring CCP Chairperson in Parliament House.
During the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue held here at the Parliament House, Chairman of the committee strongly reacted to the anonymous e-mail, which was brought to his notice. Ahmed Ali clearly informed the committee members that such emails and allegations should be trashed and should not be entertained at any level. If anybody has tried to make rubbish allegations through the email, the complainant should have the courage to come forward and disclose his identity. Such person making allegations of corruption should have the moral courage to come with concrete evidence before the committee so that the committee should examine these issues and take corrective measures, if necessary.
The Chairman of the committee said that "if I had received such kind of anonymous email, I would have trashed it. The person, who has made serious allegations against anyone, he must have the courage to give his name, contact or telephone number". The committee members showed sympathy with the Chairperson of CCP and assured her that the committee would assist her, keeping in view the Commission's performance in taking action against persons involved in corruption.
Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) Chairperson Ms Rahat Kaunain Hassan, who directly came to the committee after attending funeral of her father from Lahore, was shocked to hear that she was to respond to some anonymous email. She was unable to control her emotions and almost cried before the committee that "my father has just died, and we are discussing an anonymous email, which is not even on the agenda of the meeting. Should the forum like Senate Standing Committee on Finance should discuss an anonymous email?".
Referring to an anonymous email against the alleged corruption in the CCP, Senator Haroon Akhtar said that the matter needs to be probed. Immediately responding to the allegations of the Senator, Chairperson CCP strongly reacted that her father had died and she had come straight from Lahore after attending his funeral, just to respond to anonymous email.
She categorically conveyed to the Senate Standing Commission on Finance that unscrupulous elements were deliberately maligning her due to strict action and recovery of huge amount from certain officials of the Commission involved in financial irregularities.
Strongly defending her position against the alleged corruption in the CCP, she informed the committee that since she had assumed the charge as chairperson of the CCP, the Commission had conducted internal audit and recovered huge amount from a few officers of the CCP who were involved in financial irregularities before her joining as Chairperson of the Commission. In this regard, all documents are on record. These persons are trying to tarnish the image of the Commission and its chief through unnecessary propaganda. The committee should appreciate the present CCP team for taking such bold action against the persons involved. "We have recovered each and every penny from the involved persons and it should be highly appreciated by the committee", she said.
The CCP Chairperson kept on saying that it was not clear as to what specific allegation is 'alleged corruption' within CCP "or allegation against me for using my name in the law firm". She said: "No specific facts have been provided. No supporting evidence has been given. No violation of law has been stated; and the purported allegations have been made by anonymous entity".
When Senator Haroon Akhtar pointed out about alleged involvement of her legal firm in the CCP cases, Rahat informed the committee that she is not part of the law firm, which she left when she was Member Legal of the CCP. The law firm is run by her husband and a partner and has never pleaded any case of the CCP. However, the name of the firm has not been changed, which is a general practice in chartered accountancy and other law firms. Even if any law firm is owned by a parliamentarian, the name of such firm has not been changed.
She explained that no case had been given to her former firm, Hassan Kaunain Nafees, for any fee consideration. Only in one matter a Partner of that firm, Azir Nafees, was engaged by the former Chairman of CCP. This was done pro bono without charging any fee. Primarily, it was done keeping in view his expertise and superior understanding of the Constitutional issues and he succeeded in getting a favourable interim relief from the court.
Endorsing the viewpoint of the CCP Chairperson, Senator Ishaq Dar said that the prominent owners of legal firms, who had joined government organisations have not changed names of their law firms for decades. There are many such famous law firms where names have not been changed despite the fact that their owners have left these law firms. For example, he said, the name of the law firm Taseer Hadi was not changed by the owner despite the fact that the owner of the firm became Governor.
Ishaq said that the person should be ashamed of writing such email against any individual which is very unfortunate. The politicians are used to such kind of allegations, but now an attempt has been made against the Chairperson of CCP. Taking very serious notice of the whole issue, Rahat said that if nothing was proved against her at the end, who will be responsible for her charter assassination.
She said that as for the corruption allegations, it needs to be appreciated that there is not a single incident of corruption in the matter of enforcement of competition law. They were instances of financial irregularities committed prior to her assumption of charge as Chairperson and it was only after she assumed the office that these irregularities were unveiled, "and I am proud to state that we successfully recovered all such amount".
She said that there was no corruption in relation to the performance of core function of CCP. "I take pride in holding public office and know fully well the significance of following best practices to which I am committed to as a professional and public servant. I am trained as a lawyer and I have realised that the committee has not been duly assisted. The allegations come from lack of basic understanding and knowledge of commercial practice or ignorance of law and facts", she remarked.
She further said that the office that she holds is not superior to honourable Judges of superior courts. Also, there is precedent that professional entities continue to bear names of their founders and such practice has been undertaken by Judges of the superior courts, senators, chartered accountants, etc. Hence, the use of name in the law firm is deliberately blown out of proportion.
During the committee proceedings, she also requested the Senators to beware of lobby groups which find way to cast aspersions and maligning institutions of this state craft. She further informed the committee that she reserves the right to proceed against those who allege and support these frivolous assertions. "It is slanderous, and attempt to malign and defame a public servant," Rahat added.
Senator Khurshid Ahmed informed the committee that the alleged corruption in the CCP should be probed so as to see what actions new chairman has taken against those involved in the alleged corruption. Later, Ahmed Ali constituted a subcommittee comprising Ishaq Dar, Khurshid Ahmed and Safdar Abbasi to look into the matter pertaining to the CCP. The subcommittee would report to the committee in the next 15 days.