Senate SC on Cabinet Secretariat chairman says matter would be referred to FIA. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD: A senate panel has expressed displeasure over Islamabad Club administration’s stance that being a non-government entity it was not answerable to the Parliament.
Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat met at the Parliament House on Thursday to discuss issues related to the club.
It was informed that in response to a number of queries asked by the committee, the secretary of the Islamabad Club had informed that the entity was not a government organisation and thus not answerable to government or any standing committee.
“Contents of the letter are tantamount to challenge the authority of the Parliament. President of Pakistan appoints administrator of the club, while Secretary Establishment Division is current administrator,” observed committee chairman Senator Talha Mehmood.
He questioned that the heads of security agencies and armed forces were answerable to the parliament, than why not Islamabad Club. He said the matter would be referred to the Federal Investigation Agency for a probe while Senate chairman would also be informed about the letter.
In the letter, the club administration informed that it did not take any kind of grants from government and meets in expenditures through self-financing.
“A lot of issues have come to our notice including closure of road by the club administration and we need answers,” Senator Kalsoom Perveen, one of the members of the committee, said.
The committee also discussed the issue of allotment of a plot measuring over an acre to a non-governmental organisation at subsidised rates. The NGO later leased out plot to a private organisation for establishment of a school.
CDA chairman informed the committee that the civic agency had given plot to Pakistan Foreign Office Women Association (PFOWA), an NGO, at a price of Rs10.13 million in 2009 on the directions of Prime Minister, who has the authority to relax rules.
The plot located at Sector H-8 was originally allotted to the Foreign Office and later on its request it was transferred to PFOWA. The NGO later leased it out to another organisation for establishment of a branch of a known private school.
The committee directed CDA chairman to submit a detailed written report over the issue within 15 days.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2016.
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