ZULFIQAR AHMAD

ISLAMABAD: Finally National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has placed the record of people and companies that had obtained loans ranging from Rs5 million and above and then got it waived off in Senate chairman’s chamber for a week – from October 9 to 13.

The government was reluctant to share the details of the influential borrowers, who had obtained loans and then got them written off using their connections with respective governments, under the pretext of not disclosing the details using section 33-A of Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962 and section 9 of Protection of Economic Reforms Act, 1992.

However, the Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani ruled that no state institution can hide any information from the Parliament.

The Senate Standing Committee on Privileges headed by Senator Jahanzeb Jamaldini said the information cannot be concealed from the house. He also said the ruling of the chair on the said question was not complied with and a request was made to review that ruling.

He stated that the ruling of the Chair cannot be reviewed on the request made by any person. He was of the view that there were two ways to provide such types of information to the Senate. It should have either been provided in an in-camera sitting or the same should have been placed in the chamber of chairman Senate for perusal of the members.

The ex-governor SBP said the said information cannot be placed in the chamber without concurrence of the minister for finance. He suggested that the record may be placed in chairman’s Chamber for one week or as per decision to be taken by the chairman Senate and minister for finance.

The President NBP was of the view that customers can object to disclosing the information about the loans granted to them. He informed that they can provide the information through their regulator. He assured that they will provide the information through the Ministry of Finance, if so decided.

The secretary ministry of finance said that it was only a difference of opinion. The NBP and SBP were of the view that the information asked for through that question could not be disclosed under the law.

He proposed that modality for providing information either in an in-camera sitting or by placing the same in chairman’s chamber may be finalized by the chairman Senate and the minister for finance.

The committee held that withholding information from the Senate was a breach of privilege. The committee held this question of breach of privilege in order. However, it agreed to the proposal for placing the information at the Senate chairman’s chamber.

In pursuance of the decision taken by the committee, the government placed the information in the chairman’s chamber which remained there from 9th to 13th October 2017.