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WEEKLY
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| Soomro’s gift to himself: Live happily forever |
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Sunday, February 24, 2008
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro has awarded Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro, and his family, a life-long gift of a tax-free, hassle-free, well protected high flying retired life with diplomatic passports and much more, costing the state millions of rupees.
And as an unavoidable consequence of his controversial action, one more PML-Q leader and former Senate chairman, Waseem Sajjad and his family, will also keep thanking him for ever because Soomro has approved a long list of new privileges for retired chairpersons of the Senate.
Currently only one, Waseem Sajjad, is surviving and Soomro thinks he may soon join the list.
But it is obvious the move would directly benefit his own self at a huge cost to the taxpayers.
The shameless summary was initiated by the Senate secretariat on Dec 26, 2007 for the approval of the prime minister at a time when both offices of the Senate chairman and the prime minister office are held by Soomro himself.
A Prime Minister Secretariat order issued on February 12, 2008 under the signature of Additional Secretary Nasir Mehmud Khosa extends 10 privileges/facilities to not only former chairpersons of the Senate but their wives and dependent children.
In case expiry of former chairperson these privileges would even be offered to his widow and dependent children.
Free lifetime medical, both within Pakistan and abroad; lifetime provision of private secretary, security guard, driver and cook, free of charge access to state/government guest houses, etc, diplomatic passports, free telephone and a lot more.
It is believed that the implementation of the fresh order from Soomro would add an estimated annual burden of tens of millions of rupees to the kitty.
Issued by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat (public) wing and addressed to the Senate Secretariat secretary, the operative part of the order, whose copy is available with The News reads as: “Reference Senate Secretariat’s u.o. No.F.9(13)/2007-Estt., dated 26 December 2007 on the subject.
1. The prime minister has been pleased to approve the facilities/privileges for the former Chairperson of the Senate (elected), as per following:
(i) Exemption from taking out licenses for possessing up to three prohibited bore and six non-prohibited bore weapons.
(ii) Access to state/govt guest houses, rest houses and circuit houses in the country free of charge for self, spouse and dependent children (accompanied & unaccompanied).
(iii) Pick-up and drop facilities at all Airports in the country for self, spouse and dependent children (accompanied & unaccompanied) with protocol coverage by the provincial govts/Northern Areas/AJK in their respective areas and by the Cabinet Division/Senate Secretariat at Islamabad/Rawalpindi. Protocol coverage/Staff Car to be provided also during travel by road outside Headquarters, if required.
(iv) Detailment of a staff car by the respective governments for self, spouse and dependent children during their visit outside Headquarters throughout Pakistan (accompanied & unaccompanied) and by Cabinet Division/Senate Secretariat if chairman and his family visit the federal capital, if they reside outside Islamabad.
(v) Services of Private Secretary, security guard, driver and a cook for life time.
(vi) Free medical aid for life time in Pakistan and abroad subject to approval by the Medical Board for self, spouse and dependent children.
(vii) Diplomatic passport to self, spouse and dependent children.
(viii) Special security arrangements for chairman and his family either on his request or by the federal government on its own accord taking into account the circumstances past and present.
(ix) Free installation of telephone at residence and payment of charges for its use up to Rs 5,000 per month or such higher amount as the federal government may determine from time to time.
(x) Issuance of ASF passes for self, spouse and dependent children with endorsement of Apron at all Airports in the country and two Apron passes for staff.
2. The above privileges/facilities mutates mutandis shall apply to the widow/dependent children of the former chairperson.”
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ISSN 1563-9479 
