ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has asked the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to order a search of the parliament’s records, according to a local News channel on Wednesday.
While speaking on the floor of the National Assembly (NA), Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stated that the Supreme Court (SC) had previously sought records from the parliament in 1997. “The then-NA speaker, Elahi Bux Soomro, had handed over the parliament’s record to the SC without asking anyone.”
The former premier asked that NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf seek the House’s opinion on the Supreme Court’s request for the parliament’s records. “The Supreme Court’s request for the Parliament’s records is a serious matter, and this House must decide whether or not to turn over the records to the top court.” He also urged that the NA speaker form a special committee to investigate the top court’s request and that SC judges be called to determine the reasons. “The Supreme Court’s request should be taken seriously.” If these records are demanded by the PAC [Public Accounts Committee], that is a major concern.” Abbasi stressed that it is a delicate topic for the House’s survival and must be handled with care. He said that CJP should be called to know the reasons for summoning the records.
Speaker NA issued a letter to the CJP
Ishrat Ali, Registrar of the Supreme Court (SC), requested the record of five National Assembly (NA) sessions yesterday. Last month, Speaker NA Raja Pervaiz Ashraf issued a letter to the CJP outlining the lawmakers’ sentiments on the SC bill’s legislation. According to reports, the SC registrar’s office has requested records from NA sessions held on April 6, 10, 17, 26, and 27. The SC office has also requested the minutes of the NA standing committee on Finance. Previously, the NA speaker’s office allegedly refused to deliver the record on verbal orders, but despite formal orders, the record has not been provided to the SC registrar’s office.
PAC summons SC Registrar
The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) summoned the Supreme Court’s (SC) registrar on May 16 once more after deciding to conduct an audit of the apex court from 2010 to 2021. PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan announced during the meeting on Wednesday that the committee had agreed to conduct an audit of the Supreme Court (SC) from 2010-11 to 2020-21. Noor Alam Khan reportedly threatened to issue arrest warrants if the registrar did not come before the committee. In reply to a question, Khan stated that if the warrants are stayed by the court, he will summon the registrar again.
The chairman of the PAC asked that the auditor general produce a comparative observation report on the salaries and benefits received by the president, prime minister, federal ministers, members of parliament, and chief justice. Meanwhile, the committee has requested records worth £190 million from the UK’s National Crime Agency.
This is not the first time the PAC has attempted to investigate the SC’s accounts. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) summoned the Supreme Court’s registrar in April 2023 for failing to undertake an audit of the court’s financial records. Noor Alam Khan stated that the Supreme Court’s financial records had not been audited for the previous ten years. The PAC sought a record in March 2023 of the Supreme Court judges’ salaries, bonuses, and benefits within a month.
