ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday decided to send a reference to parliament against the Supreme Court registrar for not appearing before the committee despite being summoned repeatedly.

The PAC had summoned SC registrar Dr Faqir Hussain to appear before it on Friday for the settlement of court’s accounts. The committee had asked for details about the apex court’s administrative expenditures through its registrar.

However, the registrar snubbed the PAC, refusing to appear before it and questioning how the parliamentary committee lacked constitutional support to summon him.

Following Friday’s absence of the registrar from the committee session, the PAC had given him until Dec 18 (today) to personally appear before it for what it believes is mandatory settlement of the SC’s accounts.

“It’s naked contempt of the parliament. The Supreme Court registrar has breached the privilege of the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly. We have patiently waited for four-and-a-half years and now it’s time to act,” Chairman of the PAC, Nadeem Afzal Gondal, had said on Friday.

In a veiled warning, Gondal said despite having the power, the committee had acted cautiously so far and the registrar should try to understand “sensitivity of the matter”.

However, the SC registrar stood firm by his stance even on Tuesday, refusing to appear before the parliamentary committee.

Tuesday’s session of the PAC unanimously decided to send a reference against the Supreme Court registrar to the parliament.

The chairman said that decision of sending the reference against the SC registrar has been taken with consensus. It is up to the parliament either to send the reference to the Supreme Court or amend the law, he added.