PAC panel orders evacuation of encroached PQA land

ISLAMABAD: A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed authorities to immediately vacate encroached land belonging to the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) and ordered a thorough audit of past expenditures following serious audit objections.

Chaired by its convener, Moeen Amir Pirzada, the PAC sub-committee reviewed key audit paras related to the PQA and Ministry of Maritime Affairs during a meeting on Tuesday. One of the major issues highlighted was the illegal occupation of PQA land worth Rs35 million in the Gulshan-e-Benazir Township Scheme.

Audit officials informed the committee that a block of 65 plots had been occupied by various individuals. Maritime affairs officials clarified that these were flood victims who had settled there after the 2010 floods, with some relocated to the area by the Sindh government. While many encroachers have since been removed, around 30 families still remain on the nearly 70-acre land. Despite previous efforts, the complete retrieval of the land has not been achieved. The committee instructed the relevant authorities to ensure the land is vacated without further delay.

The committee also examined an audit objection concerning PQA’s failure to secure federal approval for budgets totaling Rs185 billion for fiscal years 2019–20 and 2020–21. The maritime affairs secretary explained that, at the time, the authority’s board approved its own budgets, but recent amendments now mandate federal clearance.

“This was an old matter. While the budgets were submitted to the ministry, formal approval from the federal government was not obtained,” the secretary admitted.

The PAC sub-committee convener termed it a clear irregularity, though the secretary maintained there was no mal-intent and that the budgetary process has since been rectified. The committee concluded the matter by directing the Establishment Division to issue a warning to the then-responsible principal accounting officer.