PAC takes notice of PPRA rules violation

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday took notice against the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for extending contract for continuous 11-year in violations of PPRA rules to M/s Human Resource services for hiring human resource that caused a loss of Rs422.870 million to the national exchequer.

It was told to the committee that the contract with the company was for three years, but in a violation of the PPRA rules, it was extending for 13 years to the same company. The PAC meeting was held on Wednesday with the chair of its Chairman Syed Khursheed Shah in which the audit paras related to the Petroleum Division for the year 2016-17 were examined. PAC took a strong notice of PSO MD Sheikh Imranul Haq’s not attending the meeting despite he came for this purpose from Karachi to Islamabad. PAC Chairman Syed Khursheed Shah inquired about the PSO MD on which the PSO officials replied that the MD was suffering from flu. The chairman expressed his displeasure with the reply and said that it was not such chronic disease due to which he did not attend the meeting. “It seems that the PSO MD has no importance to the Parliament,” he remarked angrily. Audit officials told the committee that the contract to M/s Human Resource services for hiring human resource was awarded in 2001 for three years contract, but the company still continues its services. Audit officials told the committee that despite the expiry of the contract, the PPRA rules were violated as neither the advertisement was awarded in the media for awarding the contract which is a violation of the PPRA rules. PSO officials said when the process of awarding the contract started, the employees approached the court and got a stay order.

The PAC chairman said the courts did not give decision against the rules and violations, and if the court gave any decision, then the Supreme Court could be approached. Audit officials told the committee that there was information that the private company took Rs200,000 from the job seekers for the employment. “But we did not have any documentary evidence of it,” the audit officials told the committee. But PSO officials challenged the comments of the audit officials and said these allegations were being levelled with solid evidence. Audit officials told the committee that the FIA was also investigating the matter of extending contract to the company. However, when the committee asked from the FIA representatives about the status of the case, he did not give satisfactory reply. But the FIA representative revealed in the meeting that the FIA was investigating another case against PSO MD Sheikh Imranul Haq and deputy MD for appointment of three officials in violation of the rules

PAC Member Sardar Ashiq Gopang suggested for referring the case to the NAB saying that the NAB chairman today said in the in-camera meeting that NAB was working on the merit, so it would be better to send the case of violation of PPRA rules to NAB.

But PAC Chairman Syed Khursheed Shah said the FIA was already working on the case and directed the FIA to submit the report to the committee in next meeting of PAC next week.