PAC summons ex-CJP Saqib Nisar over Dam Fund in next meeting

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday decided to summon former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar and Registrar Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan for a briefing on the Dam Fund of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the next meeting of the committee.

The PAC has also decided for recovery of over Rs70 million from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan for using a helicopter of provincial government Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which he used during the year from 2013-18.

The PAC held its meeting with the chair of its Chairman Noor Alam Khan in which NAB Chairman Aftab Sultan gave a briefing to the committee on the mega scam of provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that includes BRT Peshawar, mega scam of Billion Tree project, Helicopter case, Malam Jabba case and Khyber Bank scam.

The NAB chairman told the committee that 1,800 people used the helicopter of provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the cost of over Rs300 million that also includes Rs70 million from PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan said that this money should not be recovered from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government but from the helicopter user. “The NAB chairman could write to Election Commission of Pakistan for recovery from helicopter users,” he suggested.

During the meeting, the PAC also expressed its strong annoyance over the absence of former principal secretary to PM Azam Khan, who did not come to attend the meeting despite notices. The PAC chairman directed the PAC secretariat to issue arrest warrants for him to bring him to the next meeting of the PAC. He also sent a recommendation to the government for putting the name of ex-principal secretary to PM Azam Khan on the Exit Control List (ECL). The PAC chairman inquired from the Establishment Division about the absence of Azam Khan despite summoning him.

Special Secretary of Establishment Division told the committee that notices had been sent to the residence of Azam Khan and even tried to make contact him through telephone but his number was not responded. “Azam Khan is in Pakistan but not being contacted,” he told the committee.

The issue of asset declaration of NAB officials came under discussion in the committee meeting as PAC chairman inquired that the committee had asked for details of the assets of NAB officers. “If we ask something from NAB, then you people go to court, your institution commits constitutional violations,” he said to NAB chairman.

NAB Chairman Aftab Sultan said that NAB officers disclosed assets but they remained locked in the Establishment Division, files were opened only when there was an inquiry.

PAC member and PMLN leader Sheikh Rohail Asghar said that the assets of politicians become public documents, so there was no problem in making the details of assets submitted to the Establishment Division public.

The PAC chairman said that the committee asked for details of the assets under the Constitution, why was it not received. “My position on assets will remain the same, no one is above the Constitution,” he said. PAC member and Senator of PMLN Mushahid Hussain Syed said that what was wrong in submitting details of assets of NAB officers.

The NAB chairman said that they should do the same to them as the rest of the civil servants, to which Noor Alam Khan replied that NAB is a civil institution and not a sensitive institution. “We submit the details of all assets and there is nothing wrong with that.”

The NAB chairman said that the rules of the Establishment Division should be changed. “I have no problem but only NAB should not be discriminated against.” The PAC chairman said that the committee wanted the details of the last 4 years of assets, on which NAB chairman assured to submit the details of the assets of three years.

The PAC sought timeline of BRT Peshawar case inquiry from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). On the issue of former prime minister Imran Khan’s use of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s helicopter, the NAB chairman said that from 2013 to 2018, former premier Imran Khan used the helicopter for 156 hours, more than Rs70 million (Rs7 crore) has been spent for using the helicopter. The NAB chairman told the committee that a total of 1,800 people travelled on the helicopter of the KP government since 2012 when permission was given to use the helicopter by the competent authority.

The NAB chairman said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had to receive more than Rs300 million. The PAC chairman directed that this money should be recovered from Imran Khan and 1,800 people and the letter should be written to the ECP for the recovery.

While giving a briefing to the PAC on Billion Tree scam of KP, the NAB chairman told the committee that a reference has been prepared in the Billion Tree Project while three inquiries in Billion Tree Project had been underway and only one inquiry had been completed in four years. The PAC chairman inquired how many years were needed for the completion of inquiries. The NAB chairman responded that the sites of billion trees are too remote and if these sites are not visited, references will not be valid. He told the committee that the project was for plantation of billion trees but only 250 million planted. The PAC directed for the completion of inquiries in Billion Tree Project in six-month time.

While in a briefing by a committee on Khyber Bank, the NAB chairman told the committee that 572 officers were recruited in Khyber Bank between 2012 and 2016 and recruitment of MD and 72 officers found illegal. “Such an inquiry cannot be initiated without the approval of the State Bank Governor,” the NAB chairman told the committee.

In a briefing to the committee on the BRT Peshawar, the NAB chairman told the committee that a profit of Rs26 billion has been shown against a loss of 32.86 billion in BRT. He told the committee that the cost of the BRT project increased from Rs49 billion to Rs69 billion. “Irregularities were committed during the award of the contract,” he told the committee. He said that the court gave a stay order when the investigations were going on.

The PAC also expressed its annoyance over the absence of NAB officials as PAC chairman said the NAB chairman was saying that due to financial constraints, officials were not asked to attend the meeting. ‘If the DG NAB Peshawar attends the meeting, then he can tell the facts on BRT as NAB chairman did not know who the person was who gave the application on BRT,” he said.

During the meeting, the PAC summoned the Registrar of the Supreme Court for a briefing on dam funds, the PAC also summoned the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Justice (R) Saqib Nisar. The PAC chairman said that former CJP Saqib Nisar is controversial.

Member PAC Birjis Tahir said that Rs14 billion were spent on advertisements related to the Dam Fund and Rs9 billion were collected. Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said that there should be an inquiry related to the dam fund.

The issue of Broadsheet’s case also came under discussion in the meeting. The FIA told the committee that the NAB refused to appear before FIA, saying investigation of the case is not within their jurisdiction. The NAB chairman said he withdrew correspondence from FIA in this case and the NAB officers will appear before FIA.