ISLAMABAD: A Sub-Committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday expressed strong displeasure over the payment of an irregular house rent allowance to a former director general of the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS).
The Sub-Committee chaired by Ms Shahida Akhtar Ali, reviewed audit reports of the Finance Division for fiscal years 2010-11 and 2013-14. Audit officials revealed that the former DG had been paid house rent allowance (HRA) from November 2007 to June 2013 despite having been allotted official accommodation — a clear violation of rules.
Finance Division representatives conceded that the payment was improper and confirmed that recovery proceedings had been initiated. The finance secretary informed the committee that the officer, an employee of the State Bank of Pakistan, still had funds with the bank, and the State Bank would be requested to facilitate recovery.
Expressing displeasure, Convener PAC Sub-Committee Shahida Akhtar Ali remarked that timely action could have prevented the lapse and directed the Finance Division to ensure immediate recovery and sought a progress report in its next sitting.
Meanwhile, The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has achieved a historic milestone by recovering over Rs1 billion through enforcement actions against cartels and deceptive practices, a performance that won praise from the PAC sub-committee.
The PAC sub-committee received a detailed briefing from CCP Chairman Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu on the regulator’s recent achievements. Dr Sidhu informed the committee that the CCP had resolved more than 50 percent of its pending court cases, reducing the backlog from 567 to 280.
He noted that this was the highest number of judicial disposals in a single year, with 224 cases decided across different forums, resulting in recoveries worth Rs1 billion. He informed that the Commission as part of its efforts to curb cartelization, has issued 14 enforcement orders against cartels, imposing penalties of over Rs1 billion, while completing 20 inquiries on cartelization and dominance abuse and 18 on deceptive marketing.
The Market Intelligence Unit identified 200 potential cases of anti-competitive practices, further strengthening CCP’s enforcement. He further informed the committee that the Commission has recently established a dedicated Market Intelligence Unit (MIU), which has already detected more than 190 potential cases of anti-competitive practices.
In addition, the Commission has set up a Centre of Excellence on Competition Law to promote research, capacity building, and policy development in this field. In addition, the Commission approved 117 mergers and acquisitions, bringing in Rs29 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI). The Sub-Committee appreciated the CCP’s performance and assured full support for its mandate, terming its efforts vital for consumer protection, transparency, and sustainable economic growth in Pakistan.
