708 containers were missing from the record out of 17,052. PHOTO: FILE
A capital court on Monday ordered the top accountability watchdog to initiate an inquiry against officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PARL).
Some officials from the FBR and PARL were accused of causing losses worth billions of rupees to the national exchequer in the ‘missing’ International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) containers’ case.
Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Justice Noorul Haq N Qureshi directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to complete the investigation and submit a report in three months. Justice Qureshi directed NAB to start an inquiry against the officials involved in the scam and disposed of the case.
FBR had awarded a contract to PRAL for collecting revenue for Isaf containers.
Shah Khalid, a resident of Karachi, had filed a petition stating the award was illegal and FBR had violated Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules.
MR Najmi, counsel of the petitioner, had maintained that from 2007 to June 2010, loss of Rs19 billion was incurred to the national exchequer because contract was awarded to PRAL in violation of rules.
The petitioner’s counsel had stated that the Supreme Court had taken suo motu notice of the Isaf containers’ case in 2011 and directed the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) to investigate the matter. He claimed that the FTO in its report had declared the contract illegal for being in violation of PPRA rules.
He said that 708 containers were missing from the record out of 17,052.
The court has disposed of the case while directing FBR chairman, finance secretary to enforce immediately PPRA rules and initiate departmental inquiry against officials involved in the case.
Former PM’s son in-law’s appointment cancelled
In a separate case, IHC Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi cancelled the appointment of former prime minister’s son-in-law as deputy director managing in Pakistan China Investment Company Limited (PCICL).
On March 4, Javed Mahmood, deputy director managing (PCICL), had challenged the appointment of Shahnawaz Mehmood, former PM’s son-in-law.
The court suspended the notification of his appointment and declared it illegal.
On March 6, the court had restrained him from performing his duties as deputy director managing in the authority.
Zahir Bashir, the petitioner’s counsel, had maintained that his client was appointed in January 1, 2011, as deputy director managing for three years, but the government had appointed the former prime minister’s son-in-law on this post, replacing him prematurely.
He had said his client had been replaced by an illegally-appointed political figure.
He had maintained that PCICL was a development finance institution formed through collaboration between the governments of Pakistan and China.
Bashir had claimed that his client had over 40 years’ experience in banking and was previously the chief executive of Hub Power Company Limited, while Shahnawaz had no relevant experience and was not qualified for this post.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2013.
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