The Supreme Court on Friday while hearing a petition regarding an increase in gas and petroleum prices summoned a report on appointments made in Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and transparency in LNG contracts.<br /><br />A bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard a petition regarding increase in the price of gas and petroleum products following the imposition of taxes.<br /><br />Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan appeared before the bench after being summoned earlier today.<br /><br />National Accountability Bureau (NAB) special prosecutor Akbar Tarar and Pakistan State Oil’s (PSO) counsel, Mehmood Mirza, also appeared before the court.<br /><br />As the hearing began, PSO’s counsel submitted a report regarding prices of petroleum products before the bench and said the prices are high owing to management and sales affairs.<br /><br />To this, the chief justice remarked, “There was an unjust increase in the prices of petroleum products. We will refer this matter to NAB.”<br /><br />Justice Nisar then said, “If Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan is in town call him.”<br /><br />When the chief justice questioned “where the chief executive officer is who draws Rs3.7 million?”, the PSO counsel responded he has retired.<br /><br />NAB should go after such cases and leave tehsildars: CJP<br />The NAB special prosecutor then informed court, “During the previous government’s term, a PSO managing director was appointed to benefit one person.”<br /><br />To this, Justice Nisar remarked, “Call Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and ask him why this happened.”<br /><br />“NAB should go after such cases and leave tehsildars. The nation should know what has happened with them,” he said.<br /><br />Justice Nisar then asked the NAB special prosecutor about Ahad Cheema, to which Tarar said, “We have prepared cases.”<br /><br />The chief justice also expressed anger at PSO for hiring a private lawyer and asked Mirza how much fee he is being paid to which the lawyer responded that he would be paid Rs1.5 million.<br /><br />“State intuitions are sinking in debt but they hire private counsels, PSO should have asked the attorney general to represent it,” Justice Nisar then remarked.<br /><br />Directing a report to be submitted on appointments in PSO and transparency in LNG contracts, the court asked the attorney general to brief them in a week’s time and adjourned the hearing till October 10.<br />#SiddiqueJaan #NAB #SupremeCourtOfPakistan
