PSM corruption case: Supreme Court scolds secretary industries for lack of progress

The Supreme Court on Wednesday scolded secretary industries and production and resented lack of progress in the investigation into Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) corruption, which topped Rs 37 billion. Abdul Ghaffar Soomro, secretary industries and production informed the Supreme Court that PSM deficit had reached Rs 37 billion.
The court asked Soomro to submit a detailed report on losses to PSM, besides submitting a comprehensive report on measures taken to make it a profitable entity, by next date of hearing. A three-member bench of apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry with Justice Muhammad Sair Ali and Justice Ghulam Rabbani was hearing a suo motu case regarding alleged corruption of Rs 22 billion in PSM.
Justice Chaudhry said that it is not the job of the court to pinpoint wrongdoings of the government and corruption. "This is not the job of the court to point out where corruption is being done...this is the job of the concerned institutions to take notice of it," he remarked.
Secretaries industries told the court that they had issued 142 notices to defaulters to return the money and March 8, 2011 has been as deadline to all the defaulters. He apprised the court that Rs 160 million have so far been recovered and this recovery, he added, is separate from investigation being conducted by FIA into the scam.
The chief justice told the secretary industries that the process of recovery so, has been done only after Supreme Court intervention into the scam. PSM is the mother of all industries in the country, he said, adding that it should be strengthened to boost the fragile economy. When Soomro claimed that all out efforts were underway to recover the amount from the defaulters, the CJP said why they did not bother to take action before the court took notice of it. "You people get serious when the court summons you and assign you the task to take action against those involved in the corruption," he regretted.
When PSM counsel Fakhruddin G Ibrahim told the court that FIRs had been registered against 10 persons but they were released on bail later, the chief justice then said: "This is very strange that why the authorities concerned are hesitant to take action against those involved in the case'.
Expressing dissatisfaction over a report submitted by secretary industries and production, the bench said that according to report, the officials, who were involved in the corruption, were still holding their offices. "The FIA has shown progress on paper only but practically did nothing at all. The responsible persons are still holding their seats," he remarked. The court directed the companies, which had received products in shape of billet from PSM without making full payment to pay difference of the amount remaining against them within 15 days. The hearing was adjourned till March 9.