PAC body refers issue of irregularities of Safe City Project to NAB

ISLAMABAD: The Sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee Wednesday referred the matter of alleged irregularities in the Safe City Project of Islamabad to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and sought an inquiry report within 3-month time.

The Sub-Committee of the PAC was held with the chair of its convener Noor Alam Khan in which the audit paras relating to Interior Ministry were examined.

Noor Alam Khan questioned that half of the surveillance camera of the Safe City Project were out of order and the scanners which were have to be installed were not installed yet. “Where is the NAB and it was surprised that the NAB has not taken up this matter yet as billions of rupees were spent on this project,” he remarked. He directed the NAB to examine it thoroughly from all aspects and submit the report within 3-month time to the committee and Nadra should give a detailed briefing to the committee on this Safe City Project Islamabad to the committee.

The officials of the Interior Ministry told the sub-committee of the PAC that Nadra was overseeing the Safe City Project of Islamabad till June 30 and now it has been handover to Islamabad police.

In the meanwhile, during the meeting the sub-committee of the PAC expressed strong annoyance on the Nadra for not implementing the committee directions and sought the implementation report from Nadra on the directives of the sub-committee of the PAC.

The sub-committee also summoned Auditor General of Pakistan in its next meeting to settle the audit para against rules with regard to installation of lift in Nadra headquarter of Rs17.9 million.

Examining the audit para, the Nadra has purchased four vehicles for Islamabad police of worth of Rs2.23 million in violation of rules.

The officials of the Interior Ministry told the committee that the inquiry was being going on it.

The sub-committee expressed its strong annoyance over the delay in the outcome of the inquiry, saying that it seems that Interior Ministry was not serious on this matter as the committee had directed for presenting the report on it and if such kind of non-seriousness continues then the expenditure incurred on the meeting would be taken from the Interior Ministry. To the query of Noor Alam Khan about the reason of absence of the IG Police Islamabad, the officials of the Interior Ministry told the committee that IG Islamabad Police was busy at the dharna of traders. The sub-committee directed for immediately summons the IG Islamabad in the meeting. IG Islamabad Police comes into meeting and informed the committee that Nadra has donated four vehicles to Islamabad police in the year 2009 and out of which three were got theft and one was burnt during Faizabad dharna, of which the case was registered against the protestors of dharna. Convener of the sub-committee questioned that how the vehicles of the police could be theft and directed for provision of the FIR to the committee and also submit the inquiry report to the committee within 30-days.