ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had conveyed to the then DG Excise to give liquor licence to a Lahore hotel but the CM office was reluctant to see the official files on the subject.
Government documents reveal that there was an unusual reluctance on part of the Punjab Chief Minister Office to comment or even see the summaries moved thrice by the then Secretary Excise seeking Usman Buzdar’s nod for the issuance of liquor licence to a Lahore hotel.
Each time the case was returned despite Excise Department’s insistence that it was a sensitive case and as per the past precedents the liquor licence was to be issued following in principle approval of the chief minister.
Consequently, the DG Excise issued the licence allegedly following verbal directions from the CM Office but without any trace on the official files about the involvement of Usman Buzdar or his office.
The chief minister denies any of his involvement in the case, presently being probed by the NAB. However, the then DG Excise alleged that he had issued the licence following pressure from the Punjab chief minister.
Independent sources confirmed to The News that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar did convey to the DG Excise to give liquor licence to thehotel. But there is nothing in writing to prove this and the chief minister also denies all charges.
However, it is interesting to note that not only the then Chief Secretary returned secretary Excise’s summary on the subject for the chief minister but later when the secretary Excise moved a new summary and sent it directly to the Chief Minister Office, the latter returned it while expressing anger as to why the summary was moved for the CM.
Documents show that on Dec 20, 2018, the then secretary Excise moved the first summary for the CM’s approval. The summary contained details of the case, rules position, past precedents emphasising that after the promulgation of Hadd Oder 1979, the government has been following a very restrictive policy for grant of such licences due to its sensitivity and our cultural background.
The summary did mention that although the DG Excise is the competent authority to grant such licence, however, keeping in view the sensitivity and importance of the matter, approval in principle from the Punjab chief minister is required.
In view of the sensitive nature of the case and past precedents, the secretary Excise requested the Punjab chief minister “to kindly accord approval in principle for grant of licence in form L-2 to M/s Unicorn Prestige Limited situated at Swiss Royal Lahore Luxury Hotel, Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore subject to fulfillment of all legal and codal formalities”.
The said summary was moved to the CM Office through the Chief Secretary, whose office returned the summary to the Excise Department with the note, “CS (Chief Secretary) has seen and observed that instant matter may be dealt at an appropriate forum as per law/policy in vogue. Further necessary action may be taken accordingly as per law.
After a fortnight on Jan 8, 2019, the then DG Excise forwarded a case to Secretary Excise for approval of the Punjab chief minister. In the said summary, the DG Excise wanted to inform the chief minister: “The undersigned is satisfied that the applicant meets the conditions laid down in law and rules for grant of licence in from L-2 and intends to allow the same as recommended by the Director, Excise and Taxation (Region-D) Lahore and Excise Technical Committee.”
The DG added, “In view of the past practice of presenting such cases before chief executive of the province/chief minister for information and in the light of instructions issued by the government of the Punjab, Services & General Administration Department vide letter No…….. dated 27.12.2018, the matter may be placed before the Punjab chief minister for information please.”
The secretary Excise forwarded the DG’s note to the Chief Minister’s Office. But Special Secretary (Implementation) of Punjab CM on Jan 19, 2019 noted on the file, “Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister has observed that the Chief Secretary has already seen the case and directed the department to deal with it at an appropriate forum in accordance with the law/policy in vogue. After the Chief Secretary’s observations and clear directions, the resubmission of instant summary to the Chief Minister’s Office is absolutely uncalled for the Administrative Department should avoid this practice of submission of summaries to the Chief Minister’s Office unnecessarily.”
On March 5, 2019, the Secretary Excise moved another summary for the Chief Minister’s Office. In this summary the chief minister was informed that the DG Excise has granted the licence of liquor for the year 2018-19 in favour of M/s Gur Bachan Singh and Syed Jamil Abbas Naqvi, Director Unicorn Prestige Hotel situated at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore.
The summary, which was directly sent to the Chief Minister’s Office, simply said, “The above matter is submitted for the kind information of the Punjab chief minister.” This summary was again returned this time by the Principal Secretary to Punjab CM with his following note, “It is observed that the Administrative Department had earlier initiated a summary for chief minister on the same subject. It is highly regretted that despite clear directions conveyed by the chief secretary on the summary referred above, the department has again submitted instant note on the same issue. The note is not only uncalled for but is also not required under rules. The Administrative Department must avoid submission of cases to higher offices unnecessarily.” “The note is returned accordingly,” the file read.