Transparency International won’t be allowed to work in Pak: Malik

RAWALPINDI - Transparency International (TI) is a detective agency, and the organisation will not be allowed to work in Pakistan, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said.

Talking to media persons during a visit to the FIA headquarters on Saturday, Malik said TI was a detective agency, which started its work in Geneva, The News reports.

According to law, it could only talk to media, and could not gather information from the government institutions, he said, adding that a legal action would be initiated against its officials for giving bribe to extract information.

Malik said he had directed the FIA Director General to hold talks with the TI president, and apprised him of the international laws.

Earlier this month, the Interior Ministry had asked all ministries, divisions and departments to sever contacts with TI, as the government had started investigating operations of the Pakistan chapter of the international anti-corruption organisation.

It may be recalled that the Pakistan Government had come out with a strong reaction over the disclosure of a report by the TI on November 4, in which Pakistan’s position among the most corrupt nations was elevated by eight ranks.

The government had served a legal notice on it after passage of a resolution in the Sindh Assembly following the report’s publication. (ANI)