— Rafique’s counsel tells court ‘no losses but debt being carried over for past 65 years’
— Rafique says federal govt used to pay Rs21m as pension fund for employees
LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Wednesday was presented with an audit report on Pakistan Railways’ finances during former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique’s tenure stating that there had been “no corruption or irregularities” in the state-owned company.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Atta Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, heard the suo motu case pertaining to financial losses incurred by the Pakistan Railways at the SC’s Lahore Registry.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader who has been in National Accountability Bureau’s custody since November 11 in connection to the Paragon Housing Society case was presented before the judges as his counsel submitted the audit report and told the bench that no evidence of any corruption or irregularities was found.
As the hearing went underway, Justice Nisar inquired about losses, to which the lawyer said that there have been no losses, but there is a debt that has carried on for 65 years.
“No corruption or irregularities have been mentioned in the audit paras,” the counsel said. To this, the chief justice remarked, “There have been losses.” However, Rafique’s counsel said, “These aren’t losses but debt that is being carried over for the past 65 years.”
The court ordered the auditor general and the federal government to furnish their replies to Rafique’s response.
Rafique also addressed the court, saying that before his term, the federal government used to pay Rs58 million as pension funds to the railways’ employees, but during his tenure, the pension funds were decreased to Rs21 million. At this, Justice Nisar said, “You will be appreciated when the matter is resolved.”
While talking to the media outside the accountability court Rafique said that PML-N was being “targeted in the name of accountability”.
On April 7, the top judge had taken suo motu notice of alleged corruption of Rs60 billion in Pakistan Railways. The top judge had also summoned railways minister, secretary and board members along with the audit report. A week later, the apex court had ordered the complete audit of Pakistan Railways during the case hearing.
During the case’s hearing on April 28, the SC had sought a report on the losses incurred by Pakistan Railways. The report found that losses of Pakistan Railways stand at Rs40 billion.
In its report, the audit firm had said: “It is our view that an annual loss in excess of Rs40 billion is not sustainable.”
It is pertinent to mention that Rafique is currently in the physical remand of the NAB after he was arrested along with his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique as the Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed their application seeking pre-arrest bail in the Paragon Housing Society case.
As the apex court summoned him in a personal capacity, he was brought to the court by a team of the accountability watchdog.