Punjab companies scam: CJP directs NAB to submit report in 10 days

LAHORE: Supreme Court’s three-judge bench Sunday referred Punjab’s 56 public sector companies scandal to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for probe and ordered it to furnish a report regarding corruption and mismanagement in 10 days.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, resumed suo motu hearing of the Punjab companies scandal at the apex court’s Lahore Registry on Sunday and ordered the heads of 56 public companies to return the amount they received in excess of their original pay scale salaries.

Issuing the order, the CJ said that NAB should file a reference if it is required, adding that “if anyone refuses to return the money, the court itself will recover it.”

In compliance of the court order, chief executive officers of public sector companies also appeared before the court. Punjab Chief Secretary Akbar Khan Durrani and DG NAB Lahore Shahzad Saleem were also present.

During the hearing, the chief justice remarked, "It is strange that the contracts for construction of the Orange Line Train, Fast Track and other big projects were given to the same contractor."

Justice Nisar also expressed anger at the CEO of Infrastructure Development Authority of Punjab (IDAP) and questioned him, "You are drawing salary of Rs1.1 million, what experience do you have?

"Nobody is concerned that this is the tax money of people," the chief justice upheld. The top judge ordered all CEOs drawing salaries above Rs300,000 per month to appear before NAB.

"Money should be taken back from them and used for construction of dams," he added. On April 28, the SC had ordered the heads of the 56 public companies, which are being investigated over a corruption probe, to draw salaries as per their pay scale.