PAC body annoyed at information ministry for not holding DAC meeting

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC)’s Subcommittee expressed its annoyance over the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for not holding of the Departmental Accounting Committee (DAC) meetings on audit objection since 2017 and directed to present the audit paras after holding the meetings of Departmental Accounting Committee.

The meeting of the PAC Subcommittee was held with the chair of its Convener Shahida Akhtar Ali in which the audit paras of the Ministry of Information were examined.

PAC member Syed Hussain Tariq questioned that how many DAC meetings held in the Ministry after 2017 on the audit paras.

Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Zahida Parveen, told the committee that no meetings of the Departmental Accounting Committees were held after 2017. She also assured the Subcommittee of the PAC that now the meetings of the Departmental Accounting Committee will be held regularly.

To the query of convener, the Subcommittee with regard to absence of the Pemra Chairman Muhamamd Saleem from the committee meeting, the officials of Pemra told the Subcommittee that he did not come into meeting because of his health issue as he has allergy problem.

On the audit for not providing the details of secret funds, the audit officials told the committee that the expenditure incurred from secret funds were not auditable but after the judicial verdict these were now auditable. “Though the record was not examined but compiling of details of expenditure made from the secret fund is must,” the audit officials told the committee.

The Subcommittee deferred the examination of the audit paras relating to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with directing that these should be presented to committee after holding the Departmental Accounting Committee meeting, which were not held after the year 2017.

PAC member Syed Hussain Tariq inquired about the funds for the official news agency APP and its performance. The Ministry of Information told the committee that the restructuring process in the official news agency Secretary APP was undergoing.