SC summons 10-year tax record of Attaul Haq Qasmi

• Qasmi received Rs150,000 in salary, Rs300,000 for his medical expenses, Rs10,000,000 for travel expenses and was also given a Mercedes car 
• Who was behind Qasmi’s appointment as PTV head, CJP asks

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday questioned who was behind the appointment of former Pakistan Television (PTV) chairman Ataul Haq Qasmi as managing director (MD), warning that if the appointment was illegal, all expenses incurred by the state-run media group would be recovered from the person responsible as court summoned the 10-year tax record of Qasmi

Chief Justice Nisar is hearing a suo motu case of Qasmi’s appointment as MD as well as the amount of salary and perks he received both as PTV’s chairman and MD.

Qasmi had stirred up controversy in April 2017 when he appointed himself PTV MD. Five days later, he was replaced by Information Secretary Sardar Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera, who was appointed as acting MD. Sukhera resigned in December last year, saying that it had become “increasingly difficult… to work for the restoration of [the] past glory of PTV”.

Qasmi had allegedly received an aggregate of Rs278 million as salary and employee benefits during his two-year term.

As the two-member bench began hearing the case on Monday, the court directed the attorney general’s office to ensure the immediate presence of Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad, who had been summoned at the last hearing.

Later, as Fawad appeared in court, he informed the chief justice that he has never submitted a false statement and asked to give an explanation to the court.

He vowed that he did not give any instructions to the additional information secretary regarding Qasmi’s appointment.

The former additional information secretary informed the court that their office received the summary of the appointment from the Internal Publicity Wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The chief justice then asked who ordered to move the summary, observing that a note must have been sent stating that the post is empty before the summary was moved.

Chief Justice Nisar then summoned the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s additional prosecutor general, observing why the case should not be given to NAB to investigate whether the appointment was legal and as per rules.

Additional Attorney General Rana Waqar asked the chief justice to hear his plea and informed the court that DG IP Wing Nasir Jamal moved the summary.

During the hearing, Information Secretary Sardar Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera told Justice Nisar that Qasmi received Rs150,000 in salary. He said that the report submitted in the SC contained details of Rs270 million that were spent to cover Qasmi’s expenses during his two-year tenure.

The CJP noted that in addition to his salary, Qasmi was paid Rs300,000 for his medical expenses, Rs10,000,000 for travel expenses, according to the report.

The state television also gave him a Mercedes car and paid for its maintenance as well.

“Under which law did the organisation pay for Ataul Haq Qasmi’s car maintenance?” Justice Nisar demanded.

Furthermore, Qasmi received Rs50,000 for hosting a programme, the report said.

Ayesha Hamid, the counsel for Qasmi, informed the court that her client is being defamed by reports that he received Rs270 million. Chief Justice Nisar responded that the court can inquire into how much he received.

Justice Nisar then ordered the Federal Board of Revenue to present the complete record of Qasmi’s tax returns that have been filed over the past 10 years.

Earlier, during the hearing, the chief justice observed that the government does not have the authority to make appointments on its own.

He said in the US, the president cannot even allot a kiosk but in Pakistan, posts are doled out as favours at will.

Former information minister Senator Pervaiz Rasheed was also present in court for the hearing.

During previous hearing on February 2, the court summoned Attaul Haq Qasmi, Pervez Rasheed and other officials to know why the former allegedly received over Rs 270 million in salary and employee benefits during his two-year term.

“Pakistan is a poor country and this money belongs to taxpayers. How can it be distributed like this?” the CJP said, questioning the grounds on which Qasmi was appointed as chairman.