NAB 'very slow' at initiating inquiry against former military officials, claims SC petition

Lt Col (retd) Inamul Rahiem seeks to address objections raised in case against Gen (retd) Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani

ISLAMABAD: A former military officer has challenged a Supreme Court order to dismiss a constitutional petition against former army chief Gen (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani over his alleged involvement in a medical scam.

Gen (retd) Kiyani is accused of disbanding a legally established Armed Forces Medical Store Depot, as well as manufacturing, supplying and procuring substandard and spurious medicines.

Recently, a former military officer, Lt Col (retd) Inamul Rahiem, had moved a petition under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution, requesting the Supreme Court to issue directives for a complete audit of the medical store tendered, purchased and procured by the improperly established depots at 27 CMHs.

However, the SC registrar returned the petition, raising objections against it. The petitioner on Monday filed an appeal against the registrar office.



The applicant contended that the matter could not be decided in LHC for three years as nobody appeared on behalf of the defence ministry, nor was a reply submitted in LHC.

The petitioner further contended that the process of initiating a proceeding by NAB against military officials is very slow.

He said that a complaint against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf was filed on the charges of corruption in 2013, which has been taken up after almost five years.

The concept of the establishment existing as a state within a state has become an obstacle, as now it has emerged as an empire within a metropolitan, says the application.



The applicant stated that the matter is very sensitive as spurious, and substandard medicine has been manufactured and supplied in 27 military hospitals, as well as in the civil market.

The provision of spurious medicine is a heinous, continuous and perpetual offence being committed by the respondent against own troops and there is no institution available in the country with can effectively check their activity other than the Supreme Court of Pakistan, claims the application.