LAHORE – Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday ordered the audit of Pakistan Railways over the alleged corruption to the tune of Rs 60 billion in the public entity.
A two-member bench, headed by the chief justice, issued the orders while hearing the suo motu case regarding the alleged corruption in the railways at the apex court’s Lahore registry where Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique also appeared.
During the hearing, a heated exchange of words occurred between the minister and the top judge when the former was called at the rostrum to record the statement.
Citing a statement of Rafique in which he had said that the PML-N is a hard nut to crack, the CJP ordered the minister to come on the rostrum.
In response, the minister said that his statement was not about you [chief justice] but for the political rivals of the party. Addressing the chief justice, Rafique said: “I have appeared before the court as you wanted to see me”.
To which, the chief justice remarked that the court had summoned you, adding that the time has passed when courts were not given respect.
The railway’s minister asked the court to give him some time to present his views as he wanted to clear the misunderstandings in this regard, to which, the chief justice ordered him to keep silent.
The minister replied, “I go back if the court does not want to listen to me”. The chief justice said that contempt of court proceedings would be initiated against you on leaving the court.
The chief justice, later, inquired the minister about the losses incurred by the Pakistan Railways. He also ordered the audit of the public organisation and sought a report on it.
On April 7, the CJP took suo moto notice over the alleged corruption in Pakistan Railways. During the hearing of the case on Saturday, the chief justice remarked that the officers must reveal the causes behind this fraud.
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‘Why shouldn’t we call the Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique in the Supreme Court’, he inquired.
Moreover, referring to Indian Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, the top judge said that he was an uneducated man but he made railways profitable and his theory is being taught at Harward University as well.
“In our country, tall claims of railways profitability have only been made in rallies while the real situation is not as good as claimed by politicians. This is not a kingdom where one can take whatever he wishes,” the CJP remarked.
