PAC seeks transcript of ex-AGP’s interview claiming victim of vendetta

ISLAMABAD: The PACTuesday sought the transcription of interview of former Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) Buland Akhtar Rana televised on a private TV channel in which he claimed that the action taken against him on the ground that he audited the government act of payment of circular debt of Rs480 billion to IPPs.

PAC Chairman Syed Khursheed Shah told to the committee that he sought the transcript of the interview of the ex-AGP on the allegations made in the interview and once gets a transcript then will decide to whether to move a motion against him or take any other legal action against him.

PML-N member of the committee Mian Abdul Manan protested on the interview in which the former AGP linked action against him with the audit of payment of circular debt of Rs480 billion to the IPPs. “The committee comprising of Dr Arif Alvi and Junaid Anwaar Chaudhry found the ex-AGP guilty of misuse of authority and the case was sent to Supreme Judicial Council where he was also found guilty but instead of it he wrongly claimed that he was victim of vendetta. It was a clear breach of committee,” he said.

In the meanwhile, Khursheed Shah had also directed to the wing of the PAC to share the raw copy of the audit report with regard to payment of circular debt of Rs480 billion to the IPPs.Auditor General of Pakistan Rana Asad Amin told the committee that the audit report was submitted to the president on 4th December 2015 for approval to lay it before the Parliament and after approval of the president, the Parliamentary Affairs Division has been requested to include laying the special audit report in the agenda of the National Assembly and Senate.

The issue of privatisation of the PTCL and Etisalat delaying in payment of $800 million to Pakistan once again echoed in the meeting of the PAC which asked the AGP for the complete audit of the PTCL as government of Pakistan still holds 76 percent share owned by the government of the privatised entity.

The PAC had also directed NAB to furnish detailed report on the privatisation of the PTCL as Khursheed Shah was not satisfied with the report, which he termed in routine type and not even conducted any investigation on process of privatisation.