ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Saturday issued directives to Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) to complete within ten days, the task of auditing accounts of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) of ten years and furnish a comprehensive report before it.
The court also declined a request made by the PIA management seeking using Markhor logo on the national flag carrier.
A two-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar resumed hearing into a suo motu case relating to privatisation and losses, incurred by the PIA.
During the hearing, counsel for former adviser on Aviation Shujaat Azeem submitted that his client had submitted details of accounts of eight years. At this Chief Justice observed that Shujaat Azeem had full control over the national flag carrier adding that the court had not asked Azeem for submitting any documents. “Maybe you want to make a news that nothing wrong was made in your tenure”, CJP told counsel for Shujaat Azeem. During the hearing, the court was informed that from 2008 to 2018, PIA faced a loss of Rs280 billion to which the Chief justice asked someone had to be responsible for such a huge loss.
The counsel however, contended that one or two people were not responsible for the loss of the national flag carrier. But the Chief justice noted that the national flag carrier makes huge profit during Haj and Umra adding that the court will conduct its audit of account for a decade.
The Chief Justice said that the Auditor General has been asked to conduct specifically the loss incurred by the national flag carrier. Former Aviation adviser Mehtab Abbasi, however, contended that Auditor General was not capable of auditing the loss of the national flag carrier adding that only a competent and professional auditor would be able to do the needful.
Mehtab Abbasi further contended that in order to ascertain the reason of losses, it requires forensic audit. “How do you know that Auditor General is not capable of ascertaining the losses of national flag carrier?” the CJP asked Abbasi adding as to whether he had any valid experience of running the affairs of the PIA.
The chief justice said that he was KP governor and later was adjusted somewhere and now the party did not award him the ticket to contest the forthcoming general elections.
Mehtab Abbasi however, replied that experience was not mandatory for an adviser and minister adding that he was responsible for the measures taken for the benefit of the national flag carrier during his tenure.
“I have made all the decisions to my conscience and personally resigned from the slot of governorship”, Mehtab Abbasi contended.
Justice Muneeb Akhtar, another member of the bench, asked Mehtab Abbasi as to how many employees he fired during his tenure to which Abbaai replied that stay orders issued by the courts were the main hurdles in removing the employees.
Meanwhile, the court declined the request made by new Chief Executive of PIA Musharaf Rasool for making new appointments and suspensions in the national flag carrier.
The Chief Justice while sending the matter of illegal appointment of Musharaf Rasool as PIA chief executive to the caretaker federal cabinet observed that the cabinet should make decision regarding his appointment.
Meanwhile, the court also allowed Shujaat Azeem, former adviser on aviation to travel abroad after he submitted an affidavit in the court. The Chief Justice remarked if Shaujaat Azeem left for abroad without prior permission from the court, his properties would also be linked with the instant case.
The court declined a request made by the management of Pakistan International Airlines seeking using Markhor logo on the national flag carrier.
Meanwhile, the court directed the Auditor General to complete the task within ten days by auditing accounts of the national flag carrier of ten years and furnish a comprehensive report before it
The court also held that in case the Auditor General faced any difficulties, he should inform the court and adjourned further hearing.
