Islamabad: A Pakistani Parliamentary panel
has asked authorities to take disciplinary action against
three retired Generals for causing loss of nearly Rs 2 billion
to a state-run transportation firm after the army failed to
provide a report of its probe into the scandal.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament said
the Defence Secretary should immediately initiate disciplinary
action against the three retired Generals.
The case should also be referred to the National
Accountability Bureau for carrying out a detailed
investigation, the panel said.
The PAC announced its decision yesterday after the army's
General Headquarters failed to share the findings of its
inquiry with the parliamentary panel by the deadline of June
30.
The PAC had earlier asked the Defence Ministry to direct
the General Headquarters to provide a report on its probe into
the scandal.
Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had ordered a
three-star serving General to conduct a probe into the scam in
November 2010 but the military is yet to make public its
findings.
The PAC said the three retired Generals were guilty of
"lapse of discipline, lack of transparency and blatant
violation of government rules and regulations during their
tenure."
The retired Generals -- Khalid Munir Khan, Mohammad Afzal
Muzaffar and Khalid Zaheer Akhtar -- were held responsible in
an audit report for corruption to the tune of billions of
rupees.
The Generals, while serving in the National Logistics
Cell (NLC), obtained illegal and unauthorised loans of Rs 4.3
billion during 2004-2008 to make investments in the stock
market.
These investments violated government rules and NLC's
investment policy and resulted in loss of Rs 1.84 billion.
The NLC is a subsidiary of the Planning Commission but is
dominated by army officers.
PAC Chairman Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the Leader of
Opposition in the lower house of Parliament, told the media
that the panel had acted after making it clear to the Planning
Commission and the Defence Ministry that the General
Headquarters should submit its inquiry report by June 30.
The PAC also asked the Cabinet Division to take
disciplinary action against Saeed-ur-Rehman, the former chief
financial officer of NLC.
The committee also directed the Planning Secretary to
restructure the NLC and review its business plan.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, July 02, 2011, 14:35