LAHORE: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected a clarification submitted by the former Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, regarding hefty monthly salary payments to top executives at 56 public-sector companies.
The Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, is conducting a hearing into the appointment of a retired officer as the head of the Strategic Management and Internal Policy Unit with a salary package higher than that of the sitting chief secretary of the province.
The court noted that some handpicked executive officials at public-sector companies were receiving monthly salaries of several hundred thousand rupees, many times higher than the normal wages of government officers. It specifically cited one executive, Mujahid Sher Dil, as receiving PKR 1 million ($8,650) a month.
Sharif, who was chief minister of Punjab until May 31 this year, was summoned to reveal who approved the salary packages but the advocate general Punjab told the court that Sharif had nothing to do with this as he did not have any direct links with the companies involved.
The court rejected this and ordered Sharif to “appear in person and explain how these (executives) were hired on such high salaries.”
He appeared before the Supreme Court bench on Sunday and said the decisions were not taken by him and that executives of the companies were appointed and given contracts by the relevant authorities.
“This is not only in Punjab,” he added. “The governments of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the federal government have also adopted similar practices.”
The Supreme Court rejected his explanation and questioned the merits of the appointments. The chief justice then gave the example of the Saaf Pani (Clean Drinking Water) Company and said several hundred million rupees had been invested in it but not a single drop of water was supplied.
“You are responsible for all this [financial] loss,” the court told Sharif. It added that officials who had received unjustified salaries would have to “return every penny” and that Sharif “would be responsible for ensuring this payback.” The chief justice said notices would be issued to the former Chief Minister of Punjab if the money was not returned to the national exchequer.
Earlier, the chief justice ordered the National Accountability Bureau to estimate the value of properties owned by the 56 chief executive officers who are under scrutiny.
Legal expert Azhar Siddique said: “The appointment of the heads of these Punjab public companies is sheer violation of the principles of transparency, merit and giving a level playing field to all candidates.
“It is the worst example of nepotism and favoritism. The government bribed these people by giving hefty amounts as salary and perks.”
Pakistan court rejects Shahbaz Sharif’s plea of ignorance over massive public-sector salaries
Pakistan court rejects Shahbaz Sharif’s plea of ignorance over massive public-sector salaries
- Executives at 56 public-sector companies receiving hundreds of thousands of rupees a month
- One executive named by court gets a monthly salary of one million rupees
