PAC summons defence secretary, FWO DG

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee has summoned the secretary defence and the Director General of Frontier Works Organization (FWO) to its next meeting while expressing displeasure over the non-attendance of DG FWO in Thursday’s meeting.

The meeting of the Public Accounts Committee was held under Chairman Noor Alam Khan on Thursday in which the audit paras related to the Ministry of Communication for the year 2019-20 were examined.

During the meeting, the Chairman PAC Noor Alam Khan expressed displeasure over the absence of DG FWO with regard to audit paras related to the Frontier Works Organization and directed to write a letter to the secretary defence on the matter and ensure attendance of both the officers in the next meeting.

In the absence of the DG FWO from the committee meeting, Chairman PAC Noor Alam Khan deferred the audit paras related to FWO. Noor Alam Khan said that if PAC, the most important forum of Parliament, was not given importance, then it would not be possible to eradicate corruption from the country. He said that millions of rupees were spent by the government on the meetings, so all officers should ensure their attendance.

While examining the audit paras related to the Communication Ministry, the audit officials said that under the National Highway Development Project, PC-1 of 10 projects was prepared in 2005 at the cost of more than Rs31.24 billion; however, work on the project could not be started and PC-1 was revised in 2009 at the cost of over Rs49.49 billion and over Rs52 billion have been spent on this project.

The audit officials further told the committee that while the Tarnol-Fateh Jang Road was included in the project and its cost was more than Rs3.46 billion, work was not yet started due to which the national treasury had to bear the loss of more than Rs5 billion.

Chairman PAC Noor Alam Khan said that orders have been issued for an inquiry into the matter, which has not been completed yet. “Why the communications secretary was not punished on this issue,” he asked and directed to complete the inquiry in seven days and present it before the committee.

Noor Alam Khan said that officers only use facilities in their offices but do not do any work. He also directed the law and justice official, who was not present in the meeting, to write a letter to the law secretary in this regard. The chairman PAC directed all the ministries and divisions to call the FIA and NAB officials to the PAC meetings while examining the audit paras on which the FIA and NAB were conducting inquiries. Expressing concern over the growing deficit in the Pakistan Post, the PAC also sought a briefing from DG Pakistan Post from DG Pakistan Post in the next meeting.