Pakistan

PAC goes soft on embassy buildings sale fiasco

Panel chose not to assign blame over Tokyo, Jakarta buildings sale.

Shahbaz Rana May 11, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday appeared to be going soft on top bureaucrats and a military general accused of selling two Pakistan embassy buildings in Indonesia and Japan at throwaway prices.

Earlier, it had succumbed to the general headquarters pressure on the issue of Rs1.8 billion National Logistic Cell scandal by surrendering its right of fixing responsibility to the GHQ. The matter involves high-ranking military officers.

The PAC directed the Secretary Foreign Affairs to take actions against the officials and inform the committee secretariat within a fortnight. It only conveyed its displeasure over the sale of two embassy buildings that caused million-dollar losses.

A PAC sub-committee said the Foreign Office sold old chancery and embassy residence in Tokyo in 2007 under a swap arrangement on single evaluation causing a loss of 6.3 billion Japanese yen. The evaluation company was chosen without advertisement, the purchase offer was a single offer and no advertisement was made. According to the report the inter-ministerial committee also approved the bid.

“I do acknowledge that all the points raised in the report are valid and … deal was struck in non-transparent manner,” said Salman Bashir.

The PAC stopped short of fixing responsibility on the then-ambassador to Tokyo Kamran Nayaz, the former Secretary Foreign Affairs Mohammad Riaz Khan, former Special Secretary Foreign Affairs Sher Afgan and the then Secretary Housing and Works and Additional Secretary Finance.

Jakarta land deal

In February 2002, then ambassador to Indonesia Mustafa Anwar sold the chancery building for $1.32 million, disclosed the sub-committee report. “The property was disposed of in a non-transparent manner, without advertisement and even the ambassador entered into a binding sale agreement with the buyer without the approval of the Ministry,” revealed the report.

Interestingly, the then Chief Executive of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf condoned the irregularity and approved the deal after the sale of the building. “General Mustafa was instructor of General Musharraf,” said Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the convener of the sub-committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (4)

TightDhoti | 13 years ago | Reply Ofcourse theye do. All generals are innocent, especialyl when brought before public scrutiny.

Dr Qaisar Rashid | 13 years ago | Reply On April 15 the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court directed the NAB Punjab to investigate into the sale scandals of Pakistan's embassies within 60 days. The NAB is proceeding on the matter. It is shame that the PAC of the parliament kept the issue pigeonholed unless the LHC and the NAB came into action. Now, the PAC is trying to show its efficiency. The question is why the PAC did not make its report public which the PAC had made almost one year ago? It is also pertinent to know that the PAC was also a respondent to the writ petition (24944/10) filed with the LHC on the matter. The PAC is trying to save its skin now. Allegedly, its members were influenced by the ex-ambassadors to hush up the case. Shame on you, public representatives! You are hand in glove with corrupt officials. Then how can corruption be eradicated from our society?

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munib | 13 years ago | Reply Its alright . . . . PAK is for Generals . . . and Bureucracy not ordinary people

Billoo Bhaya | 13 years ago | Reply Just keep ripping Pakistan off. You are not in the business of national security but in that of real estate. Only thing now left is when you are going to sell Pakistan to a single bidder. You wont have to. India will just take it and then you can serve in the Indian Army as the shoe-shine boy, Mr. Ambassador.

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