LAHORE: The caretaker Punjab government told the Supreme Court on Saturday that all the civil servants working as heads or officials of the 56 public sector companies in the province were ready to return market-based salaries they had been withdrawing over and above their regular salaries.

Punjab Chief Secretary Akbar Khan Durrani told the three-judge bench of the apex court at the Lahore registry that the chief executives officers (CEOs) of the companies required two days to return the salaries.

The bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar was hearing a suo motu case regarding the salary structure of the public sector companies’ heads.

Take a look: High salaries in govt companies: CJP asks chief secy to draw up plan to recover money from CEOs

To a court query, the chief secretary stated that Punjab Saaf Pani Company’s CEO retired Capt Muhammad Usman had been drawing Rs1.3 million monthly salary.

At this, the CJP pointed out that even his own salary was less than Rs1.3m.

The chief justice summoned the CEOs of all the companies for Sunday (today) and also sought a list of the officers drawing salaries more than Rs300,000 per month from the companies.

The chief secretary told the bench that a list of 346 government officers working in the companies and authorities had been furnished to the NAB. He stated the NAB sought details beyond the scope of the court’s order.

The establishment division secretary also submitted a report about the officers of federal and Punjab governments posted in public companies on deputation.

However, the chief justice expressed dismay over not being provided the details of the other three provinces and directed the secretary to submit the same.

Chief Justice Nisar observed that the returned salaries of the companies’ heads would be deposited to the fund established for construction of dams in the country.

“Misuse of public money cannot be allowed,” the chief justice said and added that the government hospitals were shot of medicines and officers were enjoying luxuries.

VARSITIES: The Supreme Court disposed of a matter pertaining to appointment of vice chancellors at public sector medical universities in Punjab.

A law officer told the court that the VCs had been appointed at the remaining two medical varsities. He said Prof Dr Javed Akram and Prof Dr Mustafa Kamal had been appointed as VCs of the University of Health Sciences and the Nishter Medical University, Multan, respectably.

He said all the vacancies of the VCs at medical universities had been filled.

LCWU: Report of an inquiry ordered by the Supreme Court into appointment of Prof Dr Uzma Qureshi as vice chancellor of the Lahore College for Women University, termed the appointment against the rules.

Inquiry committee’s head Prof Dr Amjad Saqib filed a sealed report to the CJP.

CJ Nisar read the report and observed that it had been established that the appointment of Ms Qureshi was against the rules. He directed Ms Qureshi to file her response to the report by Sunday (today).

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2018