Summary Supreme Court has suspended summons issued to Registrar by the Public Accounts Committee.
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Tuesday suspended summon that was issued to the Registrar Supreme Court by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) asking him to appear before the committee for scrutiny of the apex court accounts.
A 3-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan heard the proceedings over the miscellaneous petitions filed against the summoning of Registrar Supreme Court Dr. Faqir Hussain, by the PAC for scrutiny of the apex court accounts.
During the hearing, petitioner Rasheed A. Rizvi Advocate stated that the PAC does not have jurisdiction for reviewing audit reports of the Supreme Court.
He stated that salaries of the judges and other expenditures of the Supreme Court are paid from the federal consolidated funds and argued that the PAC could only ask for audit reports of those grants that are recommended by the National Assembly.
“The Constitution keeps balance in jurisdiction and authority among different institutions and ensures the independence of judiciary”, he argued.
Muneer A. Malik who is counsel for petitioner Rasheed A. Rizvi, stated that salaries of the judges and other expenditures of the Supreme Court are paid from the federal consolidated fund and PAC does not have jurisdiction to review the audit report.
He argued that the PAC does not have jurisdiction to summon the Registrar Supreme Court according to the Constitution.
Upon which, the SC suspended summon that was issued to the Registrar Supreme Court by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) asking him to appear before the committee and issued notice to Attorney General Irfan Qadir.
Subsequently, the SC adjourned the hearing of the case for indefinite period.
Earlier in last month, The PAC of the National Assembly had summoned Registrar Supreme Court Dr. Faqir Hussain twice, asking him to appear before the committee for scrutiny of the apex court accounts.
But, despite a unanimous demand by the parliamentarians as well as senior lawyers, Supreme Court Registrar Dr. Faqir Hussain had refused to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly.
