Provincial watchdog meeting: Audit paras of home department come under scrutiny

PAC members from PML-N, PML-F allege that a nexus exists between the auditor-general and govt depts

KARACHI: Some members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) brought into question on Wednesday the audit paras of prisons and the Frontier Constabulary (FC) and alleged that a nexus exists between the office of auditor-general and various government departments in dealing with irregularities.

These remarks came from Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) members of the PAC when the provincial audit director-general and deputy auditor-general (DAG) verified most of the audit paras of prisons and the FC involving irregularities of millions of rupees. They requested the PAC chairperson to settle the issue.

"They have shown us the records and we are satisfied," the audit officials said confidently. This irked the members of the opposition, who expressed their annoyance at the audit officials while the latter were briefing the committee about the audit para for the year 2008-2009. PAC chairperson Saleem Raza Jalbani also endorsed the members who said that there were serious irregularities in these audit paras.



According to PML-F MPA Nand Kumar, Rs99 million has been paid by the prisons department to suppliers violating the rules. "The FC has purchased uniforms and protective clothes worth Rs4 million without inviting tenders and you still say that everything was okay," he told the audit official. "This is public money being misused and we have to hold them accountable on this floor."

Defending the officials of prisons and FC, audit DAG Rubina Sameer said that while the record was not presented at the time of audit, it was later verified through proper documents. "The PAC has the authority to defer this para if it is not satisfied," she added.

Meanwhile, Sorath Debo of PML-N diverted the attention of the meeting toward Rs0.7 million excess payments made by jail authorities to a private company that supplied dietary items to Karachi Central Jail. Prisons IG Nusrat Hussain Mangan responded that some items were purchased in an emergency for the inmates and the record has already been produced before the audit officials. "At the time of audit, we could not produce the record of this excess amount," he said. "But later we showed it to them and they have now verified it."

Presenting an audit para of the prison department, the audit DG said that Rs34 million was utilised by officials of the Hyderabad Central Jail and the prisons IG for food and the purchase of medicine but the record was not produced. Mangan responded that they have now brought the record. The PAC chairperson expressed doubts and ordered the formation of a subcommittee to probe the matter.

After the meeting, home department secretary Mukhtiar Soomro told the media that they have not finalised the arrangements to purchase armoured personnel carriers and bulletproof jackets from the Heavy Mechanical Complex, Taxilla. On the appointment of policemen, he said that all the appointments will be made in a transparent manner without any political influence.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2015.