Protesting the criminal step of the outgoing rulers to stash away billions of rupees, All Pakistan Business Forum (APBF) has asked the Supreme Court of Pakistan to probe a financial scam, involving advances made on political consideration just before the assembly was dissolved to end the five-year term of the PPP-led coalition government.
"How much advances were made on the last day of the government when banks are normally closed. What were the compulsions that forced the State Bank to make an exception, said APBF chairman Syed Nabeel Hashmi while addressing the oath taking ceremony of several newly-elected provincial office-bearers of the APBF here on Monday. The new office-bearers who took oath included Shuja-ur-Rehman, President APBF Punjab; Asim Zafar, SVP APBF Punjab; Faheem Khan, President APBF KPK and Faisal Shah Afridi, President APBF Fata.
"The Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry should take suo motu action in this regard, directing the new government to launch an inquiry and disclose the amount, confirming mysterious transactions made particularly on last day of the government," he said and added that despite serious shortage of revenue, the banks were opened especially to settle the accounts, which created doubts.
He said that outgoing government's last day in power epitomises how it ruled the country for five years. The steps taken on the last day are the concentrated version of what the rulers have done ever since it took power ie looted the national exchequer, made wrongful appointments and thrashed anyone who stood in their way while they shamelessly pillaged.
The government issued thousands of licenses of weapons and at least 72 of CNG filling stations on back dates during the last seven days of its tenure despite the fact that ECC opposed further approval of CNG stations. The chairman said though the government has completed five-year tenure, yet it had completely failed to resolve the problems like, unemployment, loadshedding, lawlessness and had generated multiple problems for the masses which have crippled the economy of the country.
On this occasion, APBF central president Rashid Mehr pointed out that speaker NA, Fehmida Mirza, approved 100 percent increase in benefits and allowances of all members of the NA. Millions of rupees worth of new cars were bought on her orders, besides approval of life time benefits and perks for Speaker of NA. He said that all ministerial staff from the Information Minister, Qamaruz Zaman Kaira's office given foreign postings while Sindh Assembly approved a bill recommending an increment in legislators' salaries.
Despite the Supreme Court's orders, the Prime Minister had appointed his son-in-law as the Deputy Managing Director of the Pakistan China Investment Company. This was done after the government spent 5 months trying to accommodate the Prime Minister's son-in-law at the Pakistan Brunei Investment Company. Billions of rupees were released by the government within the last day after making sure the banks remain opened to hand out the money to relevant parties. So much so that the federal government had to declare March 16 a working day so that it could get the bureaucracy to push through the last minute appointments, loans, promotions and transfers, he said.