ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Tuesday held its maiden meeting after inclusion of six Senators in the country’s top accountability body.
Representing Upper House of the Parliament, Senators including Sherry Rehman, Hidayat Ullah, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Chaudhry Tanveer Khan and Azam Khan Swati attended the committee meeting. Earlier, PAC had its members only from the National Assembly.
Now, the PAC has become a body of the Parliament, chaired by Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah. The senators were welcomed by the chairman and members at committee room at the Parliament.
During the meeting, the committee reviewed the audit report of year 2013-14 of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination. The audit officials informed the committee that Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC), a sub-ordinate department of the Ministry, had not submitted Rs 273 million in the official account rather deposited in the commercial banks against the rules.
Sherry Rehman questioned that who had taken the decision to deposit the money of IBCC in private banks. The PAC directed the ministry to open the account of IBCC in the National Bank of Pakistan and investigate the matter within 20 days.
The officials informed the body that investigation in this regard was underway and a report would be furnished within 15 days. The committee expressed dismay over the cut in the scholarship budget for year 2012-13 for the students of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination’s officials informed that as many as 800 students from IOK had been studying in Pakistan. The PAC sought report on the budget cut from the Ministry.
Azam Swati expressed anger over the appointment of Dr. Riaz-ud-Din in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) who was allegedly involved in misapproriation of Rs 980 million during the tenure of previous government.
The committee sought a report from the Ministry of Science and Technology on the matter within one week.
Meanwhile, the body strongly condemned the bomb blast in Charsadda, which claimed precious innocent lives.
