ISLAMABAD -UNS: The Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) has called on the federal and provincial governments to urgently enact a comprehensive Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission Act to safeguard individuals who expose corruption within public institutions and contribute to promoting transparency and good governance in Pakistan.
Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director of SSDO, emphasized the critical need for legal safeguards that would empower both public officials and citizens to report corruption without fear of retaliation. He stated that in a democratic country like Pakistan—where transparency, accountability, and openness should be the core principles of governance—the absence of legal protection for whistleblowers continues to hinder meaningful progress in the fight against corruption. Despite persistent and widespread allegations of corruption across public institutions, there remains no institutional framework to support or protect those who come forward with critical information.
Abbas highlighted that the Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission Act, 2019, which was tabled in the National Assembly in May 2019, has remained pending in the Standing Committee on Law and Justice for nearly six years. Rather than advancing this bill through the appropriate legislative process, the previous government issued an ordinance in November 2019, which ultimately lapsed due to the absence of required parliamentary approval, rendering the effort ineffective and incomplete.
He further noted that a similar bill introduced in the Punjab Assembly in 2018 has yet to be passed, and no comparable initiatives have been introduced in other provinces—despite the decentralization of governance functions after the 18th Constitutional Amendment in 2010. Abbas pointed out that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the first province to enact whistleblower legislation with the passage of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission Act in 2016. However, the law was never implemented, and the PTI-led government failed to establish the required commission over its nine-year tenure in the province, making the legislation ineffective in practice.
According to Abbas, there is an urgent need for federal and provincial governments to prioritize whistleblower protection as a central part of their anti-corruption and governance reform agenda. He stressed that Pakistan, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), is under international obligation to adopt legal and policy measures to protect whistleblowers and promote integrity, transparency, and accountability in public service institutions. Failure to do so undermines the country’s commitment to international standards and weakens public trust in governance.
Next Post
Nation stands united behind govt's decision to halt trade with India
Sat Apr 26 , 2025
Peshawar-UNS: Pakistans’ Leading business man,Ex-Senator, Federal, Provincial Minister Salim Saifullah Khan, strongly endorsed the Government of Pakistan’s decision to suspend trade relations with India amidst escalating tensions. In statement released on Friday Khan said that this firm and unyielding decision reflects the will of the Pakistani nation. “The government has […]
