ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani reportedly granted £40,000 (around Rs6 million) to his principal secretary Kushnood Akhtar Lashari for a ‘medical check-up’ in the United Kingdom, without the recommendation of a medical board.
Besides the large sum of public funds, the former premier also approved ex-Pakistan leave for his principal secretary, sources said.
Lashari is wanted by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) for investigations in the ephedrine drug quota case which also involved Gilani’s younger son Ali Musa. Lashari served as the health secretary in 2010, and the illegal quotas were purportedly approved under his tenure. He was subsequently promoted by the former premier to the post of principal secretary.
A senior official of the Prime Minister Secretariat told the Express Investigation Cell that the former premier approved £40,000 for a medical check-up of Lashari in the first week of June – a few days before the Supreme Court disqualified Gilani as prime minister and dismissed his government following contempt proceedings. The former premier had directed the finance ministry to disburse the money to Lashari immediately. The ministry complied with the orders and the funds were released in two days. Sources said that the ministry did not point out the lack of a formal recommendation of a medical board of senior doctors that is required for disbursing such an amount.
Concerned authorities also did not point out that Lashari never reported any disease that is incurable in Pakistan.
The timing of the approval of Lashari’s leave was already contentious, given that the investigations into the ephedrine case had picked up pace.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2012.
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hasnain.....PPP supporters in such cases will never respond except where judiciary is concerned....bcz they are partner in the loot where judiciary is their biggest hurdle....
He deserves to brought before the firing squad.@The Asker:
Was this money was for medical expenses or for Gilani's bank account i.e. a gift from Mr.50% the president? Will anyone probe that angle?
the principal secretary is fully entitled to receive treatment at abroad per government rules( at govt. expenses).And the Premier is also authorized to ensure release the required expenditure but definitely not in cash.The flaw is that this requires recommendation of medical team/board that the illness of the Principal secretary may be treated at UK/USA or any other country where medical facilities are suitably available for such illness. In democratic set up ( not in dictatorship) such information can be available and erring officer/minister can be criticized/punished. In this case urgency with which fund was released at the behest of the then PM without recommendation of medical team indicates that there is something is fussy about it and the concerned official/ minister should be accountable for their omission/lapse. This will be a deterrence for similar violation of rules.
Where are the judiciary bashers and "elected government" supporters now? Pakistan has been reaping the "fruits of democracy" for more than four years now. I can hardly count a month when a new scam involving federal or provincial government has not been discovered. This government has enjoyed a complete immunity in looting, a complete immunity in playing with constitution and a complete immunity to defame Pakistan all across world.
Last four years have been full of mis-appropriations, scandals, open corruptions, illegal and un-ethical practices and what not. Every-day some new scandal comes up and then fades out from the memories of the public as their attention is being very successfully diverted towards well planned lawless-ness, load-sheddings of all utilities, price hike etc etc. such that they do not give attention towards such mis-appropriations, may be in billions of dollars a week or so.
You mean i payed for his checkup?
Ok, will Saroop Ijaz/ Kamran Shafi write about it in their next columns?
Corruption is the symbol of pride for PPP and corruption and PPP go together. Now the nation has to decide that either PPP deserves next government or not by seeing and knowing about all its corruption records.........
@Aamir, Toronto: They sleep with beautiful women of there choice, with this money.
@Saleem: Dear Who will bell the cat... uper class vl nt take action against each other.. all lawas r made for poor nd layman...
FBR tax this payment
Gillani should be asked to pay back the amount as now has billions stashed in his coffers.
Why can't his politician use the same medical facilities in the country for the tests that the common citizen have to go to? The same thing happens in India. One past president there spent hundreds of thousands of public dollars to treat his medical conditions the US. I think the constitution in these third world poor countries should be changed to abolish such misuse of public funds for the benefits of the VIPs and the political brass.
@GS@Y: there goes our salaries Increments. so now we should not be expecting any raise in salary this year :(
ET please correct, he is CONVICTED EX-PRIME MINISTER
Government must get that money back from this man.
As ex premier has carried out this illegal act ( without the recommendation of a medical board.) he should be made to repay the amount and should be taken to court for helping someone leave the country who was under investigation. Thanks God he is no more PM, good riddance.
Wow! £40,000 of public money just given away like that for what was likely just a personal trip to London. I don't feel so bad about Gilani getting summarily sacked anymore.
@zardari: hahah. And in a few months you'd be promising roti Kapra aur Makan, and the people will buy that slogan once again. Not your fault. Like they say, whatever the market takes.
Gilani deserves to be fired one more time!
But we love Gillani. Can't we just ignore these 'little' mistakes he made in the past 4 years and keep him as PM? We have done the same in the last 60 years, we have elected thugs, criminals, feudals and waderas in the past, why can't we do it for another 1.5? Please, pretty please
Enough. Institute cases against both and take strict action against the law. It is not Gilani's personal money but public funds.
@Asad: Couldn't have said it better myself. Free caramelized onions and sausages for you!
Shame on him and single person who was involved in authorizing/releasing the public funds to Lashari.........I wonder how these people sleep at night.
Was Gilani paying from his Abba Ji's pocket (father) account. This is our democartic government chief executive. His sons are still being elected by the people of Pakistan. Are we ashamed ? If not then wait for the next Sharif's governement in waiting. They will go few steps further.
Khawaj Asif will not be foaming his mouth about this but will try to hit SKMH, What a shame for PMLN and PPP
Before they get caught, why all these crooks leave for crooks haven, Briton? Why Pakistani government can’t have these crooks extradited back to Pakistan? If Briton is unwilling to cooperate in sending these crooks back, and provide them refuge, then Pakistan should start doing the same and don’t send any wanted British citizen back to UK. Let Briton taste its own medicine.
Shame He was our PM for 4 years
Ah lets not talk about this and many other such blatant corruption cases lets just bash Imran for running a free cancer hospital and Dr Atta for calling water car a fraud. We side with frauds and corrupts somewhat like the cursed nations described in various scriptures.