PAC directs FIA to probe illegal appointments, promotions in PSF

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday referred the matter of illegal appointments and promotions in the Pakistan Science Foundation to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for probe and directed to submit a report to the committee within seven days.

Directing to conduct a performance audit of Pakistan Science Foundation, the PAC ordered the auditor general to submit a report within a month. The committee held its meeting on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Noor Alam Khan, in which the audit paras related to the Ministry of Science and Technology for the financial year 2019-20 were examined.

PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan directed the FIA to probe the illegal appointments and promotions in the Pakistan Science Foundation and submit a report to the committee with seven days.

He raised an objection to the settling of the audit para in the Departmental Accounting Committee (DAC), saying that the auditor general’s office cannot settle the audit objections. Asking how was the audit para settled, the committee chairman said the action should be taken against the DG audit, who settled the para.

The AGP said that the responsibility did not fall only on the audit department, but also three other people who sat in the DAC to decide it. Examining the audit paras of Pakistan Science Foundation, the audit officials said the PSF initiated a project of Rs1.28 billion for five years, adding that the project ran for five years under the Science Talent Farming Scheme, while 30 topper students had to visit the international labs, universities and science and technology facilities every year.

The officials of Ministry of Science and Technology told the committee that “80 percent of students enrolled in the programme are studying at the Medical College of Engineering Universities,” the officials told the committee.