In a case of gross misuse of taxpayers’ money, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani diverted funds, initially allocated for gas supplies in Sindh, to gift two vehicles to the Supreme Court Bar Association despite a ban on purchases, reveals an audit report.
The vehicles were handed out at the time when Gilani was facing a case in the Supreme Court, which eventually ended up with his disqualification both as prime minister and public office holder.
The federal government had transferred Rs7.6 million to the state owned utility Sui Southern Gas Company Limited for laying infrastructure, according to the latest audit report of the interior ministry accounts. The funds were given out of PM’s discretionary budget. But in June 2012, the SSGCL placed the funds at the disposal of deputy commissioner of Islamabad.
The auditors have also framed an audit objection for irregular and illegal payments of Rs776.5 million to provincial bars by the previous government.
Top auditor calls for inquiry
The office of the Auditor General of Pakistan has recommended that an inquiry be ordered for misusing funds to purchase vehicles and fix the responsibility for the irregular act.
The deputy commissioner Islamabad purchased the vehicles, which was an unauthorised act, according to the auditors. The SCBA did not fall under the purview of deputy commissioner, the report said.
However, the officials involved in the transaction maintained that they bought the said vehicles only after receiving instructions in writing from the interior ministry.
SCBA sees nothing wrong
“I had demanded from the former PM Yousaf Raza Gilani to give two vehicles to the SCBA,” said the then president of the Supreme Court bar, Yasin Azad, while talking to The Express Tribune.
He said it was up to the then PM from where he allocated the funds, as it was not the concern of the bar. Azad defended the decision of seeking taxpayers’ money for the facilitation of lawyers’ community.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2014.
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The amount of this political bribery from taxpayer money should be recovered by selling the personal assets of Yousaf Raza Gillani.