CJP orders audit of Gun & Country Club ‘as early as possible’

ISLAMABAD        -        The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday ordered an immediate audit of Islamabad’s Gun and Country Club. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ayesha A Malik and Justice Athar Minallah heard the suo motu notice case regarding allotment of land, worth billions by CDA to the Gun and Country Club, Islamabad at throwaway price and application regarding extension of time in the matter of club. During the course of proceedings, the chief justice while ordering an immediate audit of the Gun and Country Club said that the Club was a national asset that the court only wanted to protect it. He said that the government should complete the legislative process as soon as possible and take over the club’s administration. the Additional Attorney general said that the gun and Country Club was not providing the details of the weapons. The current committee was reluctant from the audit of the club, he added. Advocate Naeem Bukhari, a member of the club’s committee, told the court that Faisal Sakhi Butt, Daniyal Aziz and Khurram Khan were politically appointed in the past. The club had an internal audit every year, he added. He said that the committee was ready to pay Rs180 million to Capital Development Authority. On this occasion, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial remarked that one member of the bench did not want to hear the case. He said that allegations were being made from both sides. He said that Secretary IPC, who was also the chairman of the club committee, spent Rs 0.416 million on tea in one of his meetings. The chief justice said that there was no state expenditure in the meetings of the Supreme Court. It had been heard that Quaid-e-Azam also did not allow tea biscuits in meetings from the national exchequer, he added. The court directed to complete the audit of Gun and Country Club from December 2, 2019 to June 20, 2022 as soon as possible. Land lease between gun and Country Club and CDA and payment of Rs 180 million should be decided by the competent authority and the court would not intervene in the matter. Subsequently, hearing of the case was adjourned till February 2023.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt