November 14, 2002	Thursday	Ramazan 8, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 13 : Clarifying the position, a spokesman for the former Senate chairman, Wasim Sajjad, has said that a news item appearing in the Press regarding the orders of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the representation of the chairman against them was based on misunderstandings.

A statement of the PPP spokesman was published in the Dawn on Wednesday that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had directed that recovery be made in respect of two telephones and mobile telephone from the former Senate chairman for the period pointed out by the audit department.

The spokesman for Mr Sajjad said that a representation was filed before the president/chief executive nearly seven months back in which it was stated that telephones had been provided according to rules and in accordance with the entitlement to the Senate chairman, and therefore, the orders of the PAC were illegal.

He added that it would not be appropriate to comment further as it was a sub judice case and the decision, yet to be taken by the president/chief executive, was pending.

“A reference has been made in the PPP statement to the case of Yusuf Raza Gilani. In that case the court has held that where a public functionary is entitled to a telephone without limit on the calls, installation of more than one telephone does not contravene any law or rules. This judgment has been relied upon in the ‘Representation to the Chief Executive’,” the spokesman said.

He said that no objection was raised by the PAC against Mr Sajjad regarding the purchase of crockery, thus the report was based on misunderstandings.

“The PAC had required that Mr Sajjad should give a certificate that only one car was used at a time. This was done and this matter is not the subject of any representation, and the purchase of cars and crockery is not done by the Senate chairman but by the secretariat.” he added.