F.P. Report
LAHORE: A two-member bench of the Supreme Court on Sunday, hearing a suo motu notice of alleged corruption at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Lahore, ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate the matter.
The bench summoned Director General NAB Lahore Saleem Shahzad for April 28 while placing the name of Commissioner, Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission, Afzal Bhatti on the Exit Control List.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan passed the orders on a suo motu over a complaint, filed by Fareeha Majeed, who claimed that she was removed from her position after refusal to sign over-billed invoices.
During the proceedings, the chief justice questioned the appointment of Afzal Bhatti, a dual national, as the PIC board member, who also holds the post of Commissioner, Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission.
To a court query, Chairman PIC Board Khawaja Ahmad Hassan submitted that three inquiries were held into the matter but the charges were not proved.
The chief justice observed that the matter would be investigated by NAB and adjourned further hearing while summoning the DG NAB Lahore.
The bench also sought record of Afzal Bhatti as Commissioner, Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission.
The court directed the officials present in the courtroom to be in attendance on next hearing on April 28.
Addressing the minister, the chief justice said this all is happening despite his holding the ministerial portfolio of the health department and added this will make up for a charge-sheet against him.
He asked how Afzaal Bhatti who holds dual nationality has been appointed as OPC commissioner and ask-ed him to inform how much salary he has been receiving.
Upon this he replied he is being paid Rs55,0000 a month.
While the Punjab chief secretary received Rs18,0000 a month, had the commissioner had special qualities that he is being paid a hefty salary, wondered Justice Nisar.
The court also ordered to put the name of Member of PIC Board, and Overseas Pakistani Commissioner Punjab Afzal Bhatti on ECL.
“The court will get to the bottom of the PIC mismanagement case,” the CJP remarked.
Earlier, hearing the suo motu on security for non-essential personnel, the chief justice remarked that the 4,610 policemen recalled from protocol duties of non-essential personnel by the Punjab government cost the public exchequer Rs38 billion a year.
The bench observed further that these numbers don’t include the cost of fuel and vehicles.
“If the same money was spent on health and education things would have been different,” Chief Justice Nisar observed.
In an another case, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar ordered the Punjab government on Sunday to obtain within 10 days the machine required to treat patients with high cholesterol.
Hearing a suo motu case on lack of treatment for children born with cholesterol, the two-member Supreme Court bench headed by the chief justice observed that if no treatment is available then a patient cannot be left to die.
The chief justice remarked that he wants to know why no hospital in the country has this machine, adding that if the government does not have the funds then the court can take assistance from rich persons and get it itself.
Punjab Health Minister Salman Rafique assured the court that the machine will be imported and all relevant facilities provided.
Medical expert professor Ayaz informed the bench that there is no treatment for the ailment the world over, adding that the children will be monitored at the Services Hospital.
The chief justice then responded that they need to be treated not monitored.
During the hearing, the parents of a child said they were mistreated in the hospital and sought some other relief until the machine comes to Pakistan.
The chief justice remarked that the children will be treated in Pakistan and the parents should not seek an excuse to leave the country.
On Thursday, Chief Justice Nisar had directed inspector-generals of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad to take back security protocols from people who don’t have that privilege.
The police chief of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had already recalled security officials as per the court’s orders.
