0
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira said on late Thursday that Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani did not extend the service of former Auditor General of Pakistan because this would have been a violation of the Constitution and the law of the country.
Kaira said in a statement issued here that the Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali had requested the prime minister to extend the service of the former Auditor General.
Kaira said that the prime minister expressed his regret and told him that such a decision was not possible.
The prime minister made it very clear to him that this would amount to violating the law.
Kaira said that Chaudhry Nisar instead of submitting himself to the law of the land began criticising the appointment of the new Auditor General, not realising at all that the prime minister had taken an absolutely lawful decision.
Kaira said that the Leader of the Opposition should know well about a simple fact that it was prerogative of the government to appoint persons against various official and administrative posts.
Kaira said it was a fact that Gilani held Chaudhry Nisar in high esteem. However, it is unfortunate that Chaudhry Nisar had developed the habit of constantly saying no to everything. Here again in keeping with his habit he kept saying 'no no'.
Kaira said if Chaudhry Nisar was so keen to resign, he should go ahead and do it.
Kaira said the PAC would then elect a new chairman. The Public Accounts Committee would of course continue to do its work for welfare of the country and its people.
He said that no committee had been provided administrative authority.
He said if any committee of the House performed its task well, all the members should be praised and not just one individual.
Kaira said it should be kept in mind that the success of the committees depended on the cooperation of the government and therefore, no individual could claim credit for it. He said no chairman of the committee could either constitute or wind up any sub-committee on his own free will.
He said this is exactly what Chaudhry Nisar had done. He himself set up and then disbanded sub-committees. This step taken by Chaudhry Nisar was a violation of the law of the country. He did not have any authority to do this.
Kaira criticised the Punjab Government for not providing development funds to the members of the assemblies who belonged to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). He said assembly members of the People's Party had been elected by the masses.
He said the government would be compelled to review its policy if the Punjab government did not give development funds to the elected representative of the People's Party.
Kaira reminded the Pakistan Muslim League-N that it had influence over only limited areas of the Punjab.
He said, “We shall not allow PML-N to turn the Punjab into its personal property.”
