PAC Chairman warns to send reference against Registrar Supreme Court

Vowing to bring everyone under the law, Public Account Committee (PAC) Chairman Nadeem Afzal Chan has said that he would send a reference to parliament against Registrar Supreme Court if he doesn’t appear before the committee.

While speaking to the media the outspoken parliamentarian said, “If the registrar does not appear before the committee, it will send a reference to parliament”.

He was of the opinion that the panel could not discuss the conduct of judges but it could discuss their financial affairs.

“The committee has sought the opinion of the law ministry about the appearance of the Supreme Court registrar before the committee”, he added.

Nadeem Afzal Chan, who is also leader of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), was of the opinion that the committee has right to approach to approach parliament if the registrar of the apex court declines to appear before it to discuss the financial matters of the judges.

He asked, “If the president, the prime minister and the country’s security institutions can be held accountable, why can financial matters of the apex court not be questioned?”

He stated that the security institution took lead in following the directives of the committee, adding that corruption could be eradicated from the country if the bureaucracy so desired to do so.

While replying to query he said that the committee had already sought advice from Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs on sending a reference against the registrar, if he does not show up before the parliamentary panel.

According to the chairman, the panel discussed the matter with legal experts besides seeking advice from the law minister. The court has itself made it clear that the registrar was not part of the judiciary, he added.

Chairman PAC read, “Under paragraph 93 of a Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry vs President of Pakistan case, Justice Ramday had declared that the registrar is not part of the judiciary”.

Nadeem Afzal Chan was of the view that parliament has the authority to scrutinize all departments when it approves budgets for all of them.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Aug 11 2012. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.