Won't let contractors similar to East India Company run the country: CJP

Asks under which law are retired personnel earning more salaries than high court judges

LAHORE: The Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has asked for the details of the privileges and salaries of executive directors and other officials in a case pertaining to the recruitment of retired officers in Pakistan strategic management and internal response unit.

The CJP took suo muto on hefty salaries and directed chief secretary to submit details of privileges and salaries being given to officials in all companies.

The court collected all the details of the Chief Executive Directors and other officials’ lucrative salaries. The chief secretary is paid Rs200,000 per month, the CJP remarked.



"Under which law are the retired personnel earning more salaries than high court judges?" the CJP raged adding that the court won’t let the contractual system run in the country.

“We won’t let contractors like East India Company run this country," he further added.

The court also summoned financial details of the Drug Testing Laboratory’s official was hired from the private sector.

"The Punjab government created 50 companies," the chief secretary informed the court.

To this, the CJP retaliated by saying: "You have handed everything over to the private sector. Resign from the government if you can’t do your job.

"We won’t let the tax payer’s money go to waste," the CJP further added.

Earlier today, the CJP informed renowned lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan that the fine imposed on him by the Supreme Court for failing to appear in formula milk case has been paid by the CJP’s son.

During the hearing of suo motu case pertaining to formula milk at the SC registry in Lahore, Justice Nisar remarked that since Ahsan was reluctant to pay the Rs10,000 fine, the CJP’s son had donated it as ‘sadqah’. “We donated it for a noble cause.”

“My son said I will pay Aitzaz uncle’s fine,” the CJP told Ahsan as he ordered court staff to hand over the fine receipt.



Suo motu on doctor's hiring 

The chief justice also took sou moto notice of doctors hired on lucrative salaries in the newly built liver transplant centre.

The court also asked for details of hospitals being run via the Tayyip Erdogan transit.

"Under which law are doctors in government hospitals being paid Rs200,000 and in state-of-the-art hospitals paid around Rs1,200,000?" the CJP questioned.

Government doctors are also conducting private practices, chief secretary Punjab informed the court. "Pay hefty salaries to government doctors. We will issue a notification, banning their private practices immediately," the CJP said.

“What is the fault of the doctors who work hard in the government hospitals?” he further questioned the chief secretary. "Why do we not summon the New Liver Transplant Hospital’s head Dr Saeed?" the CJP added.

Medical student admission

In another case, the chief justice also took suo moto notice on students being refused admission in public sector medical colleges despite meeting merit requirements.

The issue was first reported when students applying to University of Health Sciences Lahore were not given admission.

The court ordered 55 students, who met merit requirements, to be granted admission in the medical college, directing the varsity's vice chancellors to implement the order within a week.

It furthered ordered both the university official and the health secretary to submit a report about the court’s decision being implemented.

"Public sectors are deliberately ignored," Justice Nisar remarked.

He said that discriminating against students who qualify for merit-based admission in public sector universities "favours the private sector".

Referring to the Gulab Devi Hospital, Nisar said if the organisation "wants to make a medical college, then I will go myself to examine it".

"We are aware that even butchers have built medical colleges," he added.

"We will not allow the health sector to become a business," the chief justice said, adding that hospitals that are being run on donations must be commended.

"Those who want to work with integrity and the right intentions must be facilitated to work and provided benefits."