ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Secretary Industries and Production to submit a written report on the losses incurred by the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) and the steps taken to make up for them.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Muhammad Sair Ali and Justice Ghulam Rabbani was hearing a suo motu case into alleged corruption of Rs 22 billion in Pakistan Steel Mills. The court also directed the secretary to submit comprehensive report on the measures being adopted for making the state-owned entity a profitable organization.
Appearing on notice, Secretary Industries and Production Abdul Ghaffar Soomro told the court that the corruption had caused losses of Rs 37 billion to the national entity since 2008, whereas government had managed to recover Rs 160 million. He said notices were also issued to 176 dealers and companies who benefited from the corruption.
The chief justice observed that the recovery being claimed was made only because of the Supreme Court’s intervention into the scam. He said Pakistan Steel Mills was the mother of all the industries in the country and it should be strengthened to boost the economy.
Soomro said they were making progress on the matter. The chief justice then observed that it was the court which took notice of irregularities and corruption. “You people only get serious when the court summons you and asks you to take notice of corruption,” the chief justice noted.
The court directed the secretary to focus all energies on making PSM a profitable institution. PSM’s counsels Fakhruddin G Ebrahim told the court that FIRs had been registered against 10 people, however they were released on bail. The chief justice then said ‘no one was daring to take action against the accused involved in the mega corruption’.
Expressing dissatisfaction over a report submitted by the secretary, the court said according to report, the officials involved in corruption were still in their offices. The court noted that FIA Director General Waseem Ahmed had spoiled the case.
The chief justice said it was not the job of the court to pin-point wrong doings and corruption, adding that the organizations concerned should take notice of it. Fakhruddin G Ebrahim said the matter was being dealt seriously with determination of recovery of the looted money. Later the court adjourned further hearing till March 9.
The Supreme Court had taken suo motu into the matter to an article published in media, wherein it was revealed that Rs 22 billion corruption was committed in PSM. It was said in the article that the government still did not know the exact losses, as there were varied figures.
“It was the PSM management which estimated the losses at Rs 22 billion,” the report had said.
