Chaudhry Muhammad Barjees Tahir

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Ch.Muhammad Barjees Tahir

Incumbent
Assumed office 17 March 2008
Member of Parliament for NA-135
In office 15 Feb 1997 – 12 Oct 1999
In office 15 Oct 1993 – 06 Nov 1996
In office 09 Nov 1990 – 08 Jul 1993

Born	April 20, 1949 (1949-04-20) (age 59) Sangla Hill, Punjab, Pakistan
Nationality	Pakistani
Political party	PML
Alma mater	University of Punjab
Occupation	Member of Parliament
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Islam

Ch. Muhammad Barjees Tahir (born 20 April 1949 in Sangla Hill) is a prominent national politician and a parliamentarian from Pakistan Muslim League (N). A key Member of Parliament in Pakistan and a lawyer by profession, he graduated with masters in Law and Political Science from the University of the Punjab.

1 Political Career
2 Helicopter Scandal
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Political Career

He started his political career from Lahore as a student activist. Later on he was elected as a member national assembly (MNA). He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan for the terms of 1990-1993, 1993-1997, and 1997-1999, and 2008-Present. At his tenure as MNA, many social, economical, educational and infrastructure developments were carried out in Sangla Hill and Sheikhupura. From 1990-1993, he served as Federal Parliamentary Secretary in the ministry of interior during Nawaz Sharif 1990-1993 government. Later he served as a chairman of standing committee of communication. He was also famous for conducting an inquiry regarding helicopter scandal in 1998, in which former President Farooq Leghari and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto were interogated for their alleged role. Moreover, he represented Pakistan on numerous occasions at UN, IPU (Inter Parliamentary Union) and other international forums.

After the overthrow of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) government in 1999 in a coup de'tat orchestrated by General Pervez Musharraf, he became one of the most vocal critic of the totalitarian military regime. He was arrested and harassed by the military regime on several occasions, and was also pressurised to join the PML (Q), the ruling party, but he refused and decided to stay loyal to PML (N). He was also an activist in the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) , and in 2004 he was the candidate for the Senate of Pakistan, a vacated seat by Shaukat Aziz who later became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Recently, he won in the general election 2008, from NA-135 constituency. His party PML (N) is campaigning for the establishment of democracy in the country and he is also a federal joint secretary of Pakistan Muslim League (N).

Moreover, he is a Member of the National Assembly's Business Advisory Committee.

[edit] Helicopter Scandal

In 1998-1999 he was appointed by the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament to investigate the matter regarding the purchase of the helicopter. The case involves defrauding substantive sum of $2.168 million and $1.1 million public money. The record shows that the case was not pursued properly and diligently. FIR No 1 of 1998 was registered with Federal Investigation Agency State Bank Circle Rawalpindi on the complaint of Cabinet Division.

Thorough investigation was conducted by the committee headed by Chaudhry Muhammad Barjees Tahir and two other members, namely Faridullah Jamali and Jamshaid Ali Shah. During this investigation the committee chairman (Muhammad Barjees Tahir) summoned the former President Farooq Leghari and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto along with others and they were investigated. The case received extensive media coverage both inside and outside Pakistan. The recommendations of the committee, obtained from the file, are as under:

At Left during Parliamentary session in 1998-1999. From Left: Barjees Tahir, Ajmal Khattak, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Benazir Bhutto.)

6.1: FIR may be lodged against (1) Malik Allah Yar Khan of Kalabagh (2) Zia Pervez Hussain (3) Dr M.A. Khan and criminal proceedings be instituted against them defrauding the government.

6.2: The amount of $2.168 million be recovered from Malik Allah Yar Khan, Zia Pervez Hussain and Dr M.A. Khan by attaching their properties etc in Pakistan or abroad for this purpose. FIA may be directed to take steps to recover this money through Interpol, if necessary. Any banker or foreign national involved in this fraud may also be taken to task by the Federal Investigation Agency.

6.3: As Benazir Bhutto, she is clearly responsible for this loss to exchequer as major decisions in respect of this contract were taken with her approval or direction and passed on to Cabinet Division through former PS PM (Ahmad Sadiq). FIR may be registered against her for causing loss to state by misuse of her authority as PM, and criminal proceedings be initiated.

6.4: Farooq Leghari knows that his name has visibly come up in this case. He has tried to plead innocent. It is unimaginable that those operating in this scandal could have easy access to the top bureaucrats like Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and even to the Prime Minister herself without the backing and active support of the President. FIR against him must also be registered and criminal proceedings initiated.

6.5: As for the senior civil servants involved in the case, Ahmad Sadiq former PS PM, Humayun Faiz Rasul and Sahibzada Imtiaz former Cabinet Secretary, no action can be taken against them at this stage as they already stand retired/superannuated.

The case was further referred to the National Accountability Bureau in 2000-02 but no action was taken.