SC registrar gets another lifeline from PAC

Decision to give him another chance to appear before committee made by majority vote

ISLAMABAD:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday, after a majority vote, decided to give yet another chance to the Supreme Court registrar to appear before it before the panel issued an arrest warrant against him.

The committee, met here with its chairman Noor Alam Khan in the chair, expressed annoyance at the absence of the SC registrar in the meeting yet again. Khan said that he did not want a clash with the judiciary.

In the meeting, a briefing was given on the use and audit of the SC’s Dam Fund. The PAC chairman said that the Supreme Court belonged to the country and that the PAC did not summon anyone to disrespect them. “We just want answers to a few questions,” he added.

He said the committee sought information about the opening of the Dam Fund, adding that in the US and India, these matters were presented in parliament. “You [SC registrar] wrote us two letters that you could not appear before the PAC. We did not summon you for personal reasons but under the Constitution,” he continued.

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Committee member Barjees Tahir said that he had read the letter, but the SC deputy registrar had arrived at the meeting and the committee should listen to him. To this, the SC deputy registrar said that he received instructions that he should attend the meeting.

Rohale Asghar suggested that the letter should be sent to the National Assembly speaker and an opinion should be sought from the law ministry. He further said the letter and the matter of the officer should also be sent to the Establishment Division.

Committee member Saleem Mandviwalla pointed out that the Dam Fund did not include details of donors and it was not stated how much of it was used. To this, the PAC chairman replied that nowhere in the world could a court grant itself a stay order similar to the authority the SC in Pakistan had.

The deputy registrar told the committee that an impression was emerging from the opinion of the committee members that the top court was not audited. However, he added that the apex court’s was audited every year.

PAC member Dr Malik Mukhtar highlighted that the auditor general had said that the SC had not provided its complete documents and its departmental accounts committee (DAC) was not allowed to finish its job.

To this, the PAC chairman said the committee wanted the SC’s audit completed and its DAC to complete its work. Khan asked the finance secretary as to when the Dam Fund started, and whether or not the ministry was informed about the audit.

The finance secretary informed the committee that the fund was opened on July 5, 2012. He added that the account of the Dam Fund was under the authority of the SC registrar. He clarified that the top court could open an account.

PAC member Mushahid Hussain Sayed noted that sending the matter to parliament was not a good idea and the deputy registrar was representing the apex court. He added that the SC registrar should be given eight to 10 more days to appear before the committee.