PAC dissatisfied with NAB performance

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee has expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the National Accountability Bureau and summoned its chief for the next meeting. Taking notice of the arrest of senior politician Afzal Chan, father of Nadeem Afzal Chan, the committee sought a report from the Punjab chief secretary and home Secretary. The committee sought a briefing from the Aviation Division on the Roosevelt Hotel, New York. The PAC meeting was chaired by Noor Alam Khan, in which the audit paras of the Aviation Division for the year 2018-19 were scheduled to be examined but were deferred as the Aviation Division failed to hold a meeting of the Departmental Accounting Committee (DAC) before the PAC meeting. Noor said the NAB chairman should fix the internal affairs of his institution. “Most of the cases referred by the PAC did not make any progress,” he remarked, adding that the NAB chairman should review the assets of officers and employees of his department.

Noor decided to write a letter to the prime minister against secretaries for not holding DAC meetings regularly. He said that the PAC would recommend stopping salaries and pensions of secretaries who do not hold DAC meetings regularly. Taking notice of the arrest of Afzal Chan, the PAC sought a report from the chief secretary, IGP Punjab and federal secretary home within three days. Noor questioned why the 85-year-old was arrested despite not being linked to active politics. “Chan’s father can’t even walk but is being harassed, arrested and humiliated,” he said, adding that those who incited people to carry out attacks on May 9 should be arrested. “Why are the elements involved in the May 9 attacks being released?” he asked.