Motorway Police purchase weapons from ISI, PAC told

ISLAMABAD: The department of Auditor General of Pakistan told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday that the National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP) had purchased weapons and ammunition of Rs10.1 million from the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in violation of rules.

The committee was told as per rules and regulations, government departments were authorised to only purchase weapons and ammunition from the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) or from outside.

The committee, chaired by Mushahid Hussain Sayed, examined audit paras related to the National Highway Authority (NHA) for the financial year 2014-15.

Though the PML-N members of the committee demanded a probe, Mushahid who was chairing in place of Syed Khursheed Shah, did not agree with the demand saying there was no need for inquiry and settled the issue. Defending the purchase of ammunition from the secret agency instead of POF, IG Motorway Police told the committee that the ammunition was purchased at cheaper rates compared with the market price.

Senator Chaudhry Tanveer questioned whether the secret agency was authorised to sell weapons and whether or not the secret agency officials could also be summoned for explanation.

Mushahid remarked that the secret agency might have sold the leftover ammunition used during the Afghan jehad and that the issue did not fall within the committee’s purview. He said the national exchequer was benefited from this deal. He then declared the issue closed.

PML-N legislator Sheikh Rohail Asghar asked who was paying the expenditure on rehabilitation of motorways after the exercise of Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Secretary Ministry of Communication told the committee that it was a national issue and Rs25 million was spent by the Ministry of Communication.

Meanwhile, audit officials told the committee that a private company had provided inferior cloth for the Motorway Police uniform causing a loss of Rs20.19 million. The committee was told that the company provided 72,500 meter cloth but the Motorway Police failed to fix responsibility. The committee directed the Ministry of Communication to submit the inquiry report within one month.