–SC gives reluctant CEOs three months to return undue amount, warns them of stern action in case of failure
LAHORE: Shahzad Saleem, the director general of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore informed the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday that nine heads of public sector companies have refused to return the amount they have received as excess salaries.
The top court was hearing a suo moto case pertaining to heads of 56 public sector companies who had received salaries above the authorised pay scale.
As a two-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar heard the case, the anti-graft body submitted a report saying that of the 56 heads of companies, 45 had agreed to return the excess salaries, and more than Rs320 million had been recovered.
As Safe City Authority Managing Director Ali Amir Malik, who is one of the nine officials refusing to pay up, appeared in court, the top judge inquired why he had been receiving Rs650,000 when he should have withdrawn Rs150,000-200,00, according to the government pay scale.
“Officers who have received excess salaries have looted the public funds,” the CJP said emphatically.
Safe City Authority Project Director Akbar Nasir Khan also appeared before the court.
The court then ordered the officials to return the undue amount within three months, threatening them with disciplinary action if the directives were not followed.
The hearing was later adjourned for an indefinite period.
