ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday restrained the Punjab Anti-Corruption Department from taking criminal action against the chief executive officers of two cement factories located in the Kalar Kahar area in a case pertaining to alleged losses to the public exchequer during the setting up of the facilities.
As a three-member bench comprising Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Sajjad Ali Shah and headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar heard a review petition filed by the cement factories, the top court barred the anti-corruption department from taking action against their chief executives.
The provincial department had filed the review petition after noting “serious lapses/ illegalities/ irregularities committed by different departments in the process of setting up cement factories and favouritism extended to the proponents” and recommended criminal action against the accused.
Earlier, the top court had instructed a five-member special committee headed Anti-Corruption Establishment Lahore Regional Director Abdul Shakoor to probe probabilities of favouritism shown by the Industries Department officials as three cement industries were set up in the Kalar Kahar area during the tenure of Pervez Musharraf.
The committee submitted a report in which it found 15 individuals responsible for irregularities, lapses in the process of issuance of NOCs and favouritism while setting up factories in Chakwal.
It had proposed heavy fines or penalty against chief executives of the two companies.
The people named in the report included former industries secretary Major (r) Fayyaz, former environment secretary Iqbal Sheikh, then environment director Ahmad Nadeem, Chakwal former district coordination officer (DCO) Azam Saleem, Chakwal former district nazim Ghulam Abbas, former tehsil nazim Hafeezur Rehman and Kalarkahar former Tehsil Nazim Peer Sajid Karooli.
