PAC questions procurement of Armenian weapons by Sindh Police

Karachi

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday expressed it deep annoyance over the decision of Sindh Police of buying “Armenian weapons” from China and asked why the police department made payments to the Pakistan Railways for the purpose when the railways should not be engaged for such procurement or movement of weapons from a foreign country.

The startling disclosure to this effect was made as the Sindh Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee met on Monday under the supervision of its chairman, Saleem Raza Jalbani, who is an MPA of the Pakistan People’s Party. The PAC in its meeting reviewed the Sindh Auditor-General’s audit reports pertaining to the accounts of Sindh Police between 2008 and 2010. The PAC chairman expressed his serious displeasure that the meeting of home department’s PAC had been put off on at five times already but even then the Sindh Police failed to present the relevant records of its expenditures.

The PAC also questioned the expenditure of Sindh Police worth around Rs2.87 billion for buying weapons, uniforms, other equipment, payment of income tax and electricity bills. In this regard, remarked PAC chairman, the Sindh Police had completely failed to present adequate records of its spending to the tune of Rs990 million.

Sindh IGP      Ghulam Hyder Jamali, who attended the meeting, stated that his department was not involved in any corruption but there were some financial irregularities and they would be rectified in the due course of time.  

The PAC chairman also ordered the Sindh IGP to present a report about the personnel deputed with Karachi West Zone and others posted for performing duties at the Governor House and Chief Minister House, within 15 days.