ISLAMABAD: The Ports and Shipping Ministry has announced to refer the case of 45 missing containers from Port Qasim Karachi to the Federal investigation Authority (FIA).
Ports and Shipping Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad said that the ministry would not defend the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) or officials involved in the missing of containers scandal at any cost.
To questions asked by senators in a meeting of Senate’s Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping, the secretary said that China would invest in setting up a 300 megawatt power plant to meet energy requirements of the Gwadar Port.
He also endorsed the ferry service between Karachi, Gwadar and Basra Port (Iraq) to promote tourism in coastal areas as well as to provide safe travelling facilities to aspiring pilgrims who wish to visit shrines in Iran and Iraq.
He said that ministry was almost ready to launch ferry service for the pilgrims and they were in contact with Iranian authorities in this regard.
Earlier, PPP Senator Taj Haider proposed ferry service from Karachi to Gwadar and Basra. Other Senators supported this proposal.
Senate Standing Committee Chairman Sardar Feteh Muhammad Muhammad Hassani expressed his anger over absence of Port Qasim Authority chairman in the meeting and said that whenever meeting of Senate Standing Committee about Port Qasim is held, its chairman goes on leave or leaves for abroad which is tantamount to insult of the standing committee and its members.
Earlier, two sessions of the committee were cancelled due to absence of port Qasim Authorty chairman. Port Qasim Authority chairman is using delaying tactics because Supreme Court of Pakistan has given clear directions that the authority’s chairman should be a grade 21 or grade 22 officer.
Senator Sardar Fateh Muhammad Muhammad Hassani sought opinion from members for postponement of the meeting in protest, then members in regard of Ministry Secretary Yoqub Muhammad preferred to postpone matters instead of committee meeting in which DG Port Qasim Shabir Anwar also participated. The chairman of committee and its members showed annoyance over presence of junior officer in the meeting. Senator Muhammad Muhammad Hassani said that in the last session, they had asked federal minister in the presence of secretary of the ministry to send case of 45 missing containers to FIA for investigation and report to the committee within 45 days but there is progress in this regard despite passage of four months.
Why the chairman of subordinate department of the ministry despite clear instructions of the committee exchanged letters with the finance ministry, customs and senior joint secretary and under which authority and capacity, Hassani questioned. He further asked that whether chairman Port Qasim Authority is using delaying tactics to hide facts so that case may not be referred to FIA and NAB. Customs officials are saying that we opened the case and penalized the guilty but record of the agreement between the ministry and the port has not been produced.
The Secretary of Ministry of Ports and Shipping informed the committee that there was doubt about sending the case of the missing containers to FIA was either responsibility of the ministry or Finance Department. The senators were of the opinion that the containers issue was being deliberately delayed and the case could have been referred to FIA. The secretary assured the committee that a letter would be written to FIA after the committee meeting. This proposal was appreciated by the members and the committee.
