Media watch: Transparency, accountability and immunity

Rs50 billion loan written off for 212,114 people and appeal made not to use transp­arency as pretex­t to curb aid.

Media watch is a daily round-up of key articles featured on news websites, hand-picked by The Express Tribune web staff.

Country seems to have been made free port: CJ

During the hearing, the chief justice, in his remarks, said that smuggled goods are openly sold out in markets of Rawalpindi-Islamabad and nobody is taking notice. The chief justice asked the member Customs as to why checkposts are not being checked to monitor smuggling. “There is a sitting government, and why don’t you ask the government to take notice of it?” the CJ asked him. “It seems you people have made the country as free port,” the chief justice observed, adding that the Customs authorities should perform their obligation honestly. Sohail Khan (thenews.com.pk)

Rs50bn loans written off in two years

The Supreme Court had taken a suo motu notice of reports that the State Bank had quietly allowed commercial banks to write off loans of Rs54.6 billion under a scheme introduced by former President Gen Pervez Musharraf. The State Bank informed the Supreme Court that a mind-boggling amount of Rs256 billion had been written off in the country over the past 40 years. The case is still in the Supreme Court. Responding to a supplementary question, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Hina Rabbani Khar claimed that the government had noting to do with the matter because the loans had been written off by commercial banks on their own. Khawar Ghumman (dawn.com)

‘Swiss cases can’t be reopened’

The summary stated that reopening the Swiss cases would be tantamount to putting the country’s sovereignty at stake. It also said the president enjoyed immunity under the constitution. (dailytimes.com)

Floods victims: Hafeez for not using transparency as pretext to curb aid

Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on Thursday called upon the world community not to use the transparency and credibility as a pretext for applying curbs on support for floods victims, as the government is taking all necessary measures for judicious use of resources in this regard. Raja Aqeel & Zaheer Abbasi (brecorder.com)