ISLAMABAD: The all-powerful Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly acts as a watchdog to keep an eye on government accounts and ensure transparent utilisation of each and every penny of the public exchequer.
The PAC monitors corruption and anomalies in the affairs of different ministries and seeks explanation from the quarters concerned whenever and wherever detects any irregularity.
Public Accounts Committee member MNA Mian Abdul Mannan expressed the views during an exclusive chat with Customs Today here.
The PML-N lawmaker informed that the PAC was acting as catalyst for the development and strengthening of government institutions and ministries.
Mian Abdul Mannan was elected as member National Assembly from NA-83 Faisalabad. He is member Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Chairman Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Member NA Committee on Industry and Production, Member NA Committee on Finance and Central President All-Pakistan Traders Association.
Mian Abdul Mannan belongs to a business family and traders considered him as their voice. It is his sheer honesty and dedication that have rewarded him with so many important responsibilities in different federal committees.
He pointed out that the PAC vigilantly surveys matters ranging from government’s account statement to expenditures and profits of state corporations. “Apart from these responsibilities, the committee also takes care of public trading and manufacturing enterprises along with losses and profits of other government projects,” he added.
Mian Abdul Mannan revealed that according to NA Rule 203 (4), the committee was authorised to inquire into any superfluous expenditures by government or any institution. While signifying the importance of the Public Accounts Committee, the PML-N lawmaker maintained that the committee members are representing different political parties in the National Assembly and are true public representatives.
“They are striving hard to make the committee more effective in the light of multiple opinions while playing their role in running the government affairs in smooth and transparent manner,” he elaborated.
He said that thanked to Allah Almighty the country economy was progressing towards prosperity due to “what he called” people-friendly policies of the PML-N government, adding that the government sagacious policies had revived confidence of the foreign investors.
Mian Abdul Mannan said that appreciation in the value of rupee against US dollar was a great achievement of the government, saying that strengthening of rupee would benefit both the importers and exporters.
The PAC member claimed that $1.5 billion given by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stood testimony to the fact about the kingdom’s trust in the person of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “Tremendous efforts are underway with the cooperation of friendly countries to eliminate electricity crisis,” he informed, adding that the government had promised the people of Pakistan that it would do away with darkness in its five years tenure and there would be prosperity from Khyber to Karachi.
While extending his conversation, the PML-N lawmaker claimed that the government must provide maximum relief to the common man in upcoming budget since it was their prosperity that would bring about development and prosperity in country.
Counting the government successes at different fronts, Mian Abdul Manan boasted that Pakistan’s international financial credibility had increased due to PM Nawaz Sharif as now foreigners were ready to invest in Pakistan. “Apart from this the forex reserves have crossed $12.6 billion while GSP Plus status will open up new vistas of development and prosperity in the country,” he underlined, adding that it was the government priority to enhance exports and had asked the friendly countries for trade instead of aid. He expressed the hope that GSP Plus status would boost Pakistan’s textile industry and would result in windfall benefits for the industry due to better access to EU market.
Similarly, the Chinese company Shandong Ruyi Group will invest 2 billion dollars in the textile sector which will besides others benefits will create thousands of job opportunities, the PAC member revealed, adding that in the same way auction of 3G and 4G technology would create one million new jobs and had generate $1.5 billion for the national exchequer.
Mian Abdul Manan declared that the PML-N under the leadership of Mian Nawaz Sharif had put the country on the path to progress and prosperity and the time was not far off when the nation would stand tall in the comity of nations.
The PML-N will make Pakistan an economic super power after having made it a nuclear power, he concluded.
