PAC body seeks details of double appointments

Summons FIA DG over delay in construction of new airport in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has sought details of the double appointments in all federal institutions and has also summoned the director-general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the next meeting over the matter of delay in the construction of the new airport in Islamabad.

Chairing the meeting, convener Noor Alam said that no government employee would remain in an institute or a ministry for more than three years. He pointed out that there had never been an audit of as many as 18 ministries.

The meeting of the PAC sub-committee, held in the Parliament House, reviewed the audit objections for 2016-17 of the aviation division. It also examined the audit records of the aviation division and the foreign affairs department 2016-17 and 2017-18.

The convener instructed the deputy director of the finance department to identify those responsible for the objections in the audit of the aviation division and to initiate action against them.

He also directed the principal accounting officer and secretary of the aviation division to summon a new meeting of the departmental account committee (DAC) to get the approval of the audit objections in front of the sub-committee. A time period of 15 days has been given for this purpose.

The committee expressed anger over the participation of junior officers of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the meeting, while it also censured the department for not appointing someone to the post of director-general for the last eight months.

“The presence of the head of the department is necessary and there is no need for an officer below the grade of 19 to attend the meeting,” the committee convener said while telling the CAA deputy director that no discussions would be held on the audit paras until the arrival of the CAA head.

“If any illegal purchases were made, then the head of the department must explain it,” Alam said.

The CAA officials, while briefing about the use of funds earmarked for rent of the Islamabad office of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in 2017, informed the PAC that it was being divided into two parts: airport services and regulation. It was informed that this division would be completed by December 31.

The aviation division secretary failed to satisfy the committee over the non-usage of PIA funds.

The committee also expressed serious reservations over the development fund relapse of the new Islamabad international airport and new Gwadar international airport.

“Rs105 billion of the nation were wasted in the Islamabad airport. We will hold everyone – not just politicians – to account,” convener Alam noted. The committee summoned the FIA director-general to the next meeting in that regard.