The Supreme Court on Monday reprimanded the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and the administration of Bahria Town over what it called their ‘non-cooperation’ in implementing a ruling of the apex court, a private TV channel reported.
Chairing a hearing of the three-member implementation bench on Bahria Town case, Justice Azmat Saeed warned the respondents that the judges were ‘about to lose their temper’. He asked the NAB prosecutor why didn’t the watchdog submit its report on Bahria Town, which it was asked to. “Let us know if you can’t follow orders. You were given a timeframe of three months but there has been no development so far,” he said, and directed the NAB to ensure progress ‘through its actions’.
“Sir, this is not the case,” the NAB prosecutor pleaded, to which the judge responded, “The fact is that no cooperation has been shown [on the part of NAB]”. The judge highlighted that a separate joint investigation team has completed its probe into Bahria Town case in Karachi, but the accountability watchdog has done nothing so far. “Why don’t we take action against NAB under the contempt of court,” the judge said, adding that the court should issue a contempt of court notice to SUPARCO as it also failed to submit the report it was ordered to.
Justice Saeed said he knows that the director general of SUPARCO is a major general and ordered him to appear before the court on the next hearing. He remarked that the state institutions were not working under the ambit of law. “Even if someone is facing an issue, he is not ready to reveal it,” the judge said. “Tell your client to cooperate with the court,” he advised Ali Zafar, the counsel of Bahria Town. “Malik Riaz will be held responsible if the rights of allottees are affected.”
The hearing of the case will now resume on Wednesday.
Published in Daily Times, January 8th 2019.
