Overlooking the serious financial crunch that has hit the entire country, the AJK finance department has given concurrence to the provision of an official vehicle, house rent and a certain amount of fuel to the region’s former presidents on the pattern of former prime ministers.
In line with the approval, the law department has been tasked to propose requisite amendments to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir ex-Presidents (Salary, Allowances, Privileges) Act, 1975 to pave way for provision of these facilities to the prospective beneficiaries.
The former AJK presidents, it may be recalled, are entitled to Rs 30,000 as monthly pension , Rs 5000 for monthly telephone expenses and services of a driver-cum gunman from the AJK police and a stenographer and orderly from the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD).
For long, the AJK presidents also used to avail themselves of a privilege of importing one duty free car during their term like that of the provincial governors but that privilege was withdrawn by the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif under his reforms shortly after the nuke tests in 1998.
However, in September 2004, the then AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat shrewdly inserted two amendments in the AJK Ministers (Salaries, Allowances, Privileges) Act 1975 whereby, for the first time, the former prime ministers in AJK were also entitled to some benefits from the taxpayers money, regardless of the length of their tenure. These benefits included one official car, official accommodation or Rs 25000 per month as rent, 400 litres of petrol (or its cost) per month and a driver-cum-gunman.
Instantly, former premiers Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan (1991 -1996) and Barrister Sultan Mahmood (1996-2001) became the beneficiaries of this amendment. Mr Hayat was provided these privileges after his second term in the coveted office expired in July 2006.
Mr Qayyum and Mr Hayat also claim pensions of a former president.
However, the ‘benevolent law’ about the former premiers did not go well with the then AJK President Maj-Gen (retired) Sardar Anwar Khan who felt he had been left out in the cold.
Perhaps, it was why he withheld a 2005 model Toyota Corolla Saloon car of president’s secretariat, in sheer violation of law, at the end of his 5-year term in August 2006.
All these years, sources said, Mr Anwar Khan had been desperately arguing before the concerned quarters that if a former prime minister could be provided an official car why a former president couldn’t enjoy the same privilege.
As the sitting Legislative Assembly has seen three prime ministers – Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, Sardar Yaqoob Khan and Raja Farooq Haider - in four elections, the S&GAD has provided same privileges to them as well.
In all, sources said, five former primers were currently enjoying the facility of an official vehicle, a driver cum gunman, Rs 25000 and 400 litres of petrol (or cost) per month. The incumbent premier was likely to rejoin this elite group whenever he vacates this office.
Last year, sources said, the incumbent President Raja Zulqarnain Khan had twice written to the law department to initiate requisite legislation for provision of same facilities to a former head of the state as well, apart from pension etc.
“We were under a constant pressure to give financial concurrence to provision of these facilities,” said a finance department official.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, however added that his department had put a condition that these privileges would be provided in only one capacity if even someone had held both the offices.
When asked if any action would be taken against Sardar Anwar Khan for unauthorized retention of an official vehicle for five years, he said it was something to be dealt by the Ehtesab Bureau.
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