PAC body expresses annoyance for not filling 107 posts in NCSW

Islamabad : The sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Tuesday expressed its strong annoyance for not filling up of over 100 vacancies in National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) that caused wastage of funds of millions of rupees and functioning of the commission was paralysed.

The sub-committee of the PAC ordered the inquiry into the matter and directed to furnish the report within two week time. The meeting was held with the chair of its Convener Senator Sherry Rehman was held Tuesday in which the audit paras relating to Ministry of Law and Justice with regard to National Commission on the Status of Women for the year 2014-15 were examined.

Sherry Rehman questioned why did 107 positions remain vacant in the NCSW and what justifies this lackadaisical attitude in getting multiple positions filled within a Commission that works towards empowering women and mainstreaming their issues.

The secretary NCSW explained that the preparation of rules and their approval, which took five years, caused 107 positions to remain vacant, adding that once the rules were approved, 46 vacancies were filled.

On this, the Senator inquired, “How could the rules not be formulated for five years, is this Commission not on anyone’s agenda? If it was taking so long to finalise the rules, why wasn’t anyone informed? That is quite odd”.

Sherry Rehman said we worked diligently to make this Commission autonomous. It is regrettable that such an important institution is facing such challenges and being made redundant in a country where women constitute half of the population.”

Chairperson NCSW, Khawar Mumtaz, who championed women’s rights and led the women’s movement from the front, tried to turn everyone’s attention to the understaffing and lack of facilities within the Commission,” she said. Sherry Rehman said NCSW chairperson complained of being provided no back-up and today it is being revealed that this was because no one cared to fill over a hundred vacancies which were brought about through government grants and foreign aid, within this organisation.

She said the root of the problem lies within the ministries which try to block funds just because new funds are not flowing in for them. “This raises some serious questions on the functioning of our ministries and the channeling and utilisation of funds or aid as this seems to be every ministry’s problem,” she said, adding that these institutions were formed to bring the country into the 21st century, to voice the concerns of citizens and protect their rights.

In the meanwhile, the sub-committee of the PAC deferred the audit para relating to Ministry of Law and Justice due to case in the Supreme Court of Pakistan while the paras related to buildings of the Federal Judicial Academy and Islamabad High Court were settled.

Examining another audit para, the audit officials told the sub-committee of the PAC that the funds of Rs650 million to the Supreme Court Bar Association for the library and hostel and so far neither the building was completed nor hostel but the Supreme Court Bar Association was receiving the interest on this amount.

The Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice requested to the committee that he was unaware of this matter and one week time should be granted to him to get the facts about this matter and report back to the committee.