The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Nadeem Afzal Chan, on Friday said his committee could discuss the financial affairs of judges.
Speaking to the media at the Parliament House on Friday, he said that though the committee could not discuss the conduct of judges, it could discuss financial matters of the apex court.
He added that the PAC has sought the opinion of the law ministry about the appearance of the Supreme Court registrar before the committee.
“If he (the registrar) does not appear before the committee, it will send a reference to parliament,” he added.
He said the committee did not intend to discuss the conduct of judges, but their financial affairs. And for this purpose, if the registrar declines to appear before the committee, it reserves the right to approach parliament.
“If the president, the prime minister and the country’s security institutions can be held accountable, why can financial matters of the apex court not be questioned?”
Chan revealed that security institutions took the lead in following the directives of the PAC. If the bureaucracy so desired, corruption could be eradicated within a day, he added.
Talking to The Express Tribune Chan said he has already sought advice from the law ministry on sending a reference against the registrar, if he does not show up before the parliamentary body.
Besides seeking advice from the law minister, the PAC has also consulted legal experts on the matter, according to Chan.
He claimed that the court has itself made it clear that the registrar was not part of the judiciary.
“Under paragraph 93 of a Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry vs President of Pakistan case, Justice Ramday had declared that the registrar is not part of the judiciary,” he added.
“When parliament approves the budget it has the authority to scrutinise all departments which get their budgets approved from Parliament,” he added. (With additional input from Agencies)
Published in The Express Tribune, August 11th, 2012.
COMMENTS (19)
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@jj: i fully agree with u brother amjad. examples of Shaheed ZA Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto also support ur views.
Hamid HK
These thugs are just time wasters. What did you do when the watervand power secretary told you yesterday that govt does not want to resolve the power crisis? Abd has corruption finished every where else? Has the sc done any foul deals like your gvt or does it hv any huge budgets? All thug politicians of ppp and pmln.
One law for everyone.
@Amjad jamal: dear i 'm agree wit u on this
***We Pakistani are extremist wę first make heros for no good reasons. And when our hero start using his nails to damage the surrounding ,we start crying.***The chairman and committee should also scruitinize the loan recieved by the late father of chairman PAC and susequently written off as a price paid for his sympethies with Gen. Zia ul Haq.The chairman is talking about scruitiny and inquiry, can he explain how his uncle Hamid for printing fake currency ( us dollars ) was acquitted from court with the mercy of Gen. Zia ul Haq. enough
Very daring and welcome move.Parliament should be supreme if we want democratic system in this country.it is a time we need new social contract and there should be a constitutional amendment to declare Parliament is absolute supreme like the British parliament.no one should be above the law as stated by judges in supreme court during different cases but why Arslan Iftikhar? Why his inquiry is been stopped by the judges???
@jj: We Pakistani are extremist wę first make heros for no good reasons. And when our hero start using his nails to damage the surrounding ,we start crying.Now what is going on between Chief justic and Zardari is the bright example. Do you agree? Can any body tell who is Chief Justice of iNDIA,where as small school going boy can tell you.
Registrar is privy to important issues and Supreme Court doesnot want that some issues be known to the people of Pakistan where its image is likely to be questioned.
i appreciate you on this Chan makhna :D
The concept to sacred cow should be totally abolished from our system. Executives, Judges and Generals are all Pakistanis and are accountable for using the Public money of this poor country.
Why you remain behind ?
A very good step indeed. It's about time these holy cows should be held accountable. Especially the judges who see corruption everywhere but when it comes to them, they close their eyes.
Better yet Govt should use the FBR and have the judges investigated, filing of income tax returns, etc. most of them live beyond their means, everything will be sorted out very quickly.
Good. Public has right to know how people in Chief Justice's family became billionaires in one day!
Another Proof of Corruption in Judiciary
Beside the Son, the Thief Justice, and now the Munshi is also above the Law . . . .;-) How dare you call him . . .!!!!
What about the Supreme Court CJ's principle that all are equal before the law? How come this SC registrar is above the law? Is it because he know wihch judge has got more than one plots and could spill the beans?