The efforts of Railways Minister Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour to approve a violation from Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules to purchase of 75 locomotives from China became a fiasco when PML-Q Minister of State for Human Resource Development Sheikh Waqas Akram resisted the move in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, saying condoning the violation of PPRA rules would invite ‘handcuffs’ for those approving it.
A reliable cabinet source told Pakistan Today that Railways Ministry high-ups, Planning Commission of Pakistan and Law Division had recommended that the Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani condone a violation from PPRA rules to procure 75 locomotives from China to allow the Railways Ministry to implement the deal to reduce the Pakistan Railways (PR) locomotives shortage.
The fear of handcuffs: The source said the PM constituted a three member ministerial committee comprising Rehman Malik, Sheikh Waqas Akram and Mir Hazar Khan Bijrani to probe the violation of PPRA rules and identify the officials responsible despite Bilour’s protests the move.
The source said that during the cabinet meeting, Sheikh Waqas Akram sought an opportunity to speak on the matter but the PM hesitated. At this point, Waqas said, “Hathkarian” (handcuffs) aloud upon which the PM allowed him to speak. Waqas said that the violation of PPRA rules, being a serious offence, could not be condoned. The source said Waqas reminded the cabinet that a violation of that PPRA rules during the Pakistan Steel Mills privatisation during previous regime meant the Supreme Court (SC) nullified the deal and a standoff between the judiciary and executive ensued.
Negotiated in previous regime: The source said Sheikh Waqas criticised Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Nadeem-ul-Haq and Law Ministry officials for recommending that the illegal act be condoned. The source said Sheikh Waqas told the cabinet that the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways had already recommended against the procurement deal due to the violation of PPRA rules.
“Upon this, the PM asked Waqas how to solve the problem. Waqas responded that once the officials who had the deviation could be condoned only after fixing responsibility and identifying and penalising officials who had negotiated the deal. The PM responded that the negotiations for the deal took place under the previous regime. To this, Sheikh Waqas told the PM that this was another reason for the current government to reject attempts to condone the deviation,” the source said.
No precedent on the
matter: The source said Railways Minister Bilour got angry at Waqas opposition to Bilour’s ministry’s proposal. “At one stage, Waqas told Bilour to only address the chair,” the source said. The source said that when the PM asked secretary establishment Khushnood Lashari to offer his opinion on the matter, Lashari said no precedent existed of the federal cabinet condoning a deviation of PPRA rules. Subsequently, the PM a three member committee comprising to probe the deal and identify the officials who violated the rules despite Bilour’s protests. The source said interior minister Rehman Malik offered that the FIA probe the matter.