Transparency: Decision on audit reports to be taken by CM, LHC told

LAHORE:

The Punjab Assembly secretary told Lahore High Court on Monday that a reference about audit reports of district governments’ accounts had been sent to the chief minister for a final decision. Justice Shahid Waheed was hearing a petition filed by opposition leader Mehmoodur Rasheed on the government’s failure to produce audit reports of district governments before the Public Accounts Committee. The secretary said the audit reports had not been placed before the assembly. Therefore, these could not be discussed by the PAC, he said. Representing Rasheed, Advocate Sheraz Zaka said the audit reports had never been laid before the PAC of the assembly. He said Section 108 of Punjab Local Government Act, 2013, stated that audit reports of the auditor general should be considered by the PAC. He sought a court order to place the audit reports of the district governments before the PAC as well as Punjab Assembly.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2015.