Supreme Court of Pakistan. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Following pleas by journalists, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Auditor General of Pakistan to carry out an audit of special publicity funds spent on journalists and some organisations, whose names were made public by the court through a list revealed on the official website.
The bench issued notices to the information minister’s secretary after six journalists maintained that their names had been wrongly placed in List-A issued by the information ministry showing records of spending worth Rs178 million spent from July 2011 to September 2012.
The three-judge bench of the court headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja directed Dr Asifur Rehman and Director General (DG) Federal Audit to complete the audit in three weeks and submit the report.
Why put up a list?
“The official website of the Supreme Court is not a gossip column like any social website”, said advocate Asma Jahangir who questioned the decision of placing the list on the official website of the Supreme Court.
“Should the people not know where their money is being spent?” retorted Justice Khawaja, adding the list was made public after receiving certification from the secretary and a director of the information ministry.
The information ministry lists some names incorrectly, said Advocate Jahangir in response. She asked judges not to “suffocate the court with self-righteousness” and said that the court should also make its own expenditures public.
To this, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja replied the expenditure of Supreme Court was being regularly audited, but the funds used by the information ministry under ‘secret funds’ had not been subjected to audit.
Upcoming list
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain observed that List-B, which is to be released soon, does not contain the names of any journalists.
Journalists who approached the Supreme Court to challenge the website records include Rameeza Nizami, Munizae Jahangir, Fariha Idrees, Rauf Klasra, Pervaiz Shaukat and Shakeel Turabi.
Journalists Hamid Mir and Absar Alam had filed a petition last year asking the court to direct the information ministry make its secret funds public.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2013.
COMMENTS (7)
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when I hear bribe or kick backs and names involved there is, I remember scribe by a great son of Punjab, ( my father Baba Nanak)
No more the chants of Mullah and Brahman. The Satan himself now solemnizes the nuptial
@Syed A. Mateen: Mateen sahib, did you come cross any Pakistani, who was not forced to pay bribe? I dare say, including you too.
Journalists are corrupt, Generals are corrupt, politicians are born corrupt, I am corrupt, everyone in this society is corrupt... then there is a Chosen One! who is more pious than a newborn child :)
@Naya Pakistan: Her daughter's name is included in the list.
Why not the details of salary & perks by the judges and registrar put on the official website so the public should know where their money is being spent...... ?????
"The right to know" comes under "Right to obtain information" from any government department.
Unfortunately, in Pakistan there is not a single government department whether Federal or Provincial which is not corrupt.
Even the corruption is seen in the lower courts.
It is a general practice that until and unless the plaintiff does not grease the palms of the court officials, the file does not move.
"Corruption every where" is eating Pakistan just like cancer.
I am of the opinion that Pakistan has gone into an irreversible process of corruption from which it cannot come out.
Look at just one Anti-Corruption Department of the Police. It is also one of the most corrupt department where only money speaks, what to talk about other Federal or Provincal Departments of Pakistan.
I have not as yet touch the topic of corruption which is going on in the private sector.
If I conclude my views by stating that corruption is at the top, corruption is at the bottom, corruption is on the right and corruption is on the left, I think I am painting the true picture about the corruption which is going on in Pakistan.