PAC berates Badin DC for missing meeting

Karachi

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly, which met on Friday to consider an audit report of District Badin, took strong exception to the absence of the Badin deputy-commissioner, who was said to have skipped the PAC meeting in view of an expected visit of the Sindh chief minister to Badin.

Due to the absence of Badin Deputy-Commissioner Muhammad Rafiq Qureshi, the meeting was adjourned abruptly by the PAC chairman. 

The PAC was meeting with Saleem Raza Jalbani, an MPA of the Pakistan Peoples Party, in chair to consider the audit report pertaining to accounts of District Badin’s administration for the financial year 2011-12.

The PAC members expressed serious concerns over the absence of Qureshi. 

During the meeting, the committee questioned the additional deputy-commissioner that why the he was attending the meeting in absence of the deputy-commissioner.

He was also asked that why the deputy-commissioner had opted to skip the meeting.

The PAC’s members were informed that the Badin DC had not been able to attend the meeting owing to visit of the Sindh CM to Mithi on the same day.

Cutting down the argument, the PAC chairman said asked that what the DC Badin had to do with chief minister visiting Mithi.

“Isn’t there any importance of the meeting of Public Accounts Committee?” he further asked. 

The PAC chairman was responded on the occasion that the deputy-commissioner of the district had opted to stay back in the district owing to an expected visit of CM of Badin.

On this, the PAC chairman said he could not continue with the session in absence of the DC, while he also ordered the additional deputy-commissioner and his subordinate staff of the district administration to leave the committee room in the Sindh Assembly.

The PAC reportedly has also decided to send a complaint to the Sindh CM against the Badin DC for skipping the meeting.