Rs60bn losses: Supreme Court orders audit of Pakistan Railways

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Saturday ordered a complete audit of Pakistan Railways to fix the liability for multi-billion rupees financial losses incurred by the national entity. 

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, a two-judge bench of the apex court was hearing at the Lahore registry a suo motu case pertaining to the colossal losses of Rs60billion incurred by Pakistan Railways.

Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique appeared before the court in response to its summon.

During the course of hearing, the chief justice and the minister engaged in repartee and also exchanged heated words.

“I have not come here to give a political talk, but show the performance [of my department],” the PML-N leader said. Upon this, Justice Nisar said neither would anyone allow him to talk about politics in the courtroom.

He asked the minister to explain what did he try to imply with his body language a few days ago when he went to visit “a place”. “I have relatives and fellow citizens to visit. I had gone to have a cup of tea,” he replied.

To which, the chief justice said he knew what tea he went to have there or what favour he went to ask for.

He asked the minister to keep quite or else everyone would get to know where he had gone. He reprimanded him for beating about the bush and asked him to explain his department’s performance.

The minister said he has been deeply hurt by the chief justice’s remarks. “You are our chief justice too. You should have afforded me a fair hearing,” he said and added he would leave if the judges didn’t want to hear him.

Chief Justice Nisar told the minister, if he will leave the courtroom, he would be issued a contempt of court notice.