F.P. Report
LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar remarked that the present judiciary will not accept and allow any kind of nepotism and corruption in the country.
CJP Saqib Nisar made this remarks while hearing cases related to public welfare issues, including the Saaf Pani Company and recruitment at 56 public organization cases, at the Lahore Registry on Sunday.
While hearing the Punjab Saaf Pani Company case, CJP observed that those who are involved in looting the public money will be held accountable despite their affiliation and power and the looted money will be submitted in the national treasury.
Referring to the hiring of individuals from the private sector as well as foreign experts in the public organization, Saqib Nisar remarked that those who made these hiring’s will have to return the money from their own pocket and ruled that that all the companies’ officers will get the same salaries as government officials at the same scale.
The court also questioned the inclusion of provincial minister Zaeem Qadri’s brother and wife in the company’s board of directors.
Appearing before the court, the company’s former CEO, Waseem Ajmal, said that the Punjab chief minister directed the replacement of local experts with foreigners, adding that the provincial chief executive was not even legally permitted to give directions to the company.
The court has summoned the National Accountability Bureau’s prosecutor general on April 14 to look into the case.
Presiding over the plethora of public welfare cases which the apex court has taken suo motu notice of on Saturday, Chief Justice Nisar had given a day to the Punjab Saaf Pani Company chief executive officer (CEO) and the provincial government to submit the complete record, including salaries, perks and privileges of the entire staff and vehicles provided to them to perform their duties.
The chief justice had expressed serious concern over the exorbitant salary and benefits packages of the company’s officials and the money being paid to foreign consultants for water projects.
While taking up the matter of 56 public sector companies, the chief justice directed the Punjab government to submit a detailed report about the establishment of these companies today.
