ISLAMABAD : The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the interior secretary to take steps to bring back former finance minister Ishaq Dar to the country on an urgent basis.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Dar present today?\u201d Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar asked the interior secretary as he headed a three-judge bench of the apex court.<\/p>\n
The bench was hearing a suo motu case related to former Pakistan Television (PTV) chairman Attaullah Haq Qasmi’s appointment as managing director (MD) as well as the amount of salary and perks he received both as chairman and MD of the state-run corporation.<\/p>\n
When informed about Dar\u2019s failure to appear once again, despite being given a last chance to be present in person within three days during the last hearing on Monday, the chief justice ordered the interior secretary to bring back the finance minister and also directed concerned authorities to assist him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf any authority refuses to assist the interior secretary, we will conduct an inquiry against it,\u201d Justice Nisar remarked.<\/p>\n
Further, the chief justice asked the interior secretary to share how Dar can be brought back to the country. \u201cWhat steps can be taken if someone does not appear despite being summoned by the court?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn accountability court has already declared Dar an absconder,\u201d Justice Nisar upheld.<\/p>\n
In response, the interior secretary informed the bench, \u201cA passport can be revoked through several ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe passport is cancelled after issuing a show cause notice,\u201d the interior secretary explained and added that former president Pervez Musharraf\u2019s passport and national identity card (NIC) have been cancelled.<\/p>\n
To this, the chief justice remarked, \u201cIf we cancel the passport then he will have the excuse that he cannot travel back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Justice Ijazul Ahsan, however, asked, \u201cCan Interpol be asked to bring him back?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has to be a mechanism to bring back people to the country,\u201d Justice Ahsan added.<\/p>\n
Further, the chief justice asserted, \u201cThere need to be laws to bring back suspects.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201cThree months ago, a NAB court declared Dar absconder but what did the government do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen prime minister is meeting Dar \u2014 is this rule of law?\u201d Justice Nisar asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan red warrants be issued against Dar?\u201d he further questioned.<\/p>\n
Additionally, former finance secretary Dr Waqar Masood, who had been summoned earlier, appeared before the court.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have recorded my statements,\u201d Dr Masood told the bench while adding that he expressed reservations at Qasmi\u2019s Rs1.5 million monthly salary.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe summary was sent to the Finance Ministry who forwarded it to the Prime Minister Secretariat,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Further, the former finance secretary said, \u201cI have nothing to do with the approved Rs270 million salary package.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe package is for a total Rs54 million and not Rs270 million. Various perks may have been included in it which took it up to Rs270 million,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
However, the chief justice said, \u201cFormer premier’s principal secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad had said the PM Secretariat had nothing to do with the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFurther investigation is needed in this case,\u201d Justice Nisar observed.<\/p>\n
The attorney general said, \u201cIf the amount is returned then the case should not be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is why we had summoned Qasmi,\u201d the chief justice said in response.<\/p>\n
The bench then summoned a copy of the summary which was forwarded to the PM Secretariat and Finance Ministry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will have to do something to end corruption,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n
The hearing of the case was adjourned till July 14.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD : The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the interior secretary to take steps to bring back former finance minister Ishaq Dar to the country on an urgent basis. \u201cIs Dar present today?\u201d Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar asked the interior secretary as he headed a three-judge bench of the apex court. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7282,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-28148","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national","8":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n