Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar will take up a petition filed by a pensioned military officer today (Friday) against the apex court's registrar order for returning a constitutional petition against former Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in medical scam. Kayani is accused of disbanding a legally established Armed Forces Medical Store Depot, as well as, manufacturing, supplying and procuring substandard and spurious medicines.
Recently, a former military officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Inamul Rahim (retd), had moved a petition requesting the court to issue directives for a complete audit of the medical store tendered, purchased and procured by the improperly established depots at 27 CMHs. However, the apex court registrar returned the petition, raising objections over it. Later, the petitioner filed an appeal against the registrar office. Now the top judge will hear the appeal in his chamber on Friday (today).
The applicant contended that the matter could not be decided in LHC for three years as neither did anyone appear on behalf of the Defense Ministry, nor was any reply submitted in the relevant court. The petitioner further contended that the process of initiating a proceeding by NAB against military officials is very slow. He said that a complaint against former military ruler Musharraf was filed on the charges of corruption in 2013, which has been taken up after almost 5 years. The applicant stated that the matter is very sensitive as spurious and substandard medicines had been manufactured and supplied to 27 military hospitals, as well as, in the market.
The provision of spurious drugs is a heinous, continuous and perpetual offence being committed by the respondent against his own troops and there is no institution available in the country which can effectively check this activity other than the SC, said the petition.