PAC questions increase in Islamabad Club membership fee

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee took notice of the increase in the membership fee of the Islamabad Club and has summoned the Club administration to the next meeting.

Chairman Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Noor Alam Khan questioned under which rule the Islamabad Club administration is charging membership of the club for Rs 2 million to Rs 3 million as it seems that there is no one to ask them.

In its meeting to examine the audit paras related to the Ministry of Communication for the financial year 2019-20, the PAC recommended an increase in salaries of FC and Motorway Police and has recommended the government transfer of officers who have been serving on the same post for 3 years.

Taking notice of the case of the video of alleged bribery taken by ANF officials at Islamabad Airport, the PAC expressed its strong annoyance over the video of the ANF officials seen taking bribery at Islamabad Airport and summoned DG ANF to the next meeting for an explanation.

During the meeting, PAC member Shaikh Rohail Asghar complained about the rude attitude of the staff of the National Highway Authority and the condition of the GT Road, saying that the condition of the road is worst and the attitude of the NHA staff is rough. He also raised the question that why the NHA collects toll tax and why it collects motor vehicle tax. Noor Alam Khan also seconded the views of Rohail Asghar and said the road conditions were worst in every aspect including safety.

Chairman NHA Khurram Agha told the committee that the Motor Vehicle tax is a provincial tax while the toll tax is used to repair the roads of Pakistan. He told the committee that around 15,000 KM of roads are maintained with toll tax but the collection made from the toll tax is insufficient to repair these roads. When Chairman PAC Noor Alam Khan asked about the generation of the revenues collected through toll tax, the GM Finance NHA did not have the exact figure of collection of the revenues collected through toll tax. The Chairman expresses his displeasure and remarked that Member Finance does not know how many vehicles ply on the motorways every day then why the NHA brought officials here.

Chairman PAC Noor Alam Khan ordered additional NHA officers who were present in the Committee meeting to leave the meeting and directed that only the officials level of Joint Secretaries are allowed to attend the PAC meetings.

In the meanwhile, Chairman PAC Noor Alam said that the right place of the motorway is also vandalized for no reason and there are no service areas and police security on the Hakla Dera Ismail Khan Motorway. “If someone gets a tire punctured on Hakla Dera Ismail Khan Motorway, what will he do?” he questioned. He further remarked that there should be a rest area every fifty kilometres which is not there.

Chairman PAC Noor Alam said in the meeting that the concerned authorities have not yet sent a report on the Hakla Dera Ismail Khan Motorway, which should be submitted as early as possible and directed the NHA to give a detailed briefing on the Hakla Dera Ismail Khan Motorway in the next meeting.