AGP given 10 days to collect record on Broadsheet

Reviews audit objections of NHA for year 2019-20 and irregularities in various projects

ISLAMABAD:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) to obtain all relevant record on the issue of Broadsheet and submit a report to it within 10 days after which a strategy for recovery of money will be formulated.

Broadsheet head Kaveh Moussavi, in an interview to a web channel, had said that the Sharif family had assets not only in the UK but across the globe, adding that the family required plenty of explanation about their resources of amassing these assets.

The ruling PTI claimed that the PML-N had kept the August 2016 decision of the award in the Broadsheet case a secret while the latter alleged that the government officials had been seeking a share from the asset recovery firm.

The PAC met under the chairmanship of Rana Tanvir Hussain at the Parliament House on Tuesday.

At the outset of the meeting, the AGP requested the committee to grant 10 days on the issue of Broadsheet saying they had also approached NAB and asked them to provide record after January 20.

He said the record will also be procured from the foreign mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Highlighting the importance of the matter, parliamentarian Syed Naveed Qamar observed that it must be resolved on urgent basis.

The committee gave the AGP 10 days and directed him to present a report on the issue of Broadsheet.

The meeting also reviewed the audit objections of National Highway Authority (NHA) for the year 2019-20 and irregularities in various projects.

In response to a query from PAC chairman, communications secretary requested the committee to grant four weeks for joint auditors report on the cost overrun of a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT)-based project.

The audit officials noted that they had been waiting for the last six years for the report.

The PAC chairman stressed that the report should be submitted within four weeks.

The PAC also expressed grave concern over the plight of commuters on motorways and highways.

The committee chairman observed that still much work was to be done on the Sialkot Motorway.

Raja Riaz pointed out that in Pindi Bhattian, traffic jam for two hours at Motorway Toll Plaza had become a daily routine on which, the PAC chief directed the NHA chairman to address the grievances of the people.

Noor Alam Khan complained that toll was taken from the parliamentarians on Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway while a few other people did not pay the tax.

The PAC asked the government officials to approach the communications ministry for the resolution of these issues.

The NHA chairman also backed Khan’s stance saying such issues existed on Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway and maintained that these will be resolved once the fog and winter season is over.

Hina Rabbani Khar suggested that toll should be collected only at the exit points on the motorway and observed that the commuters had to pay tax at three places while reaching Multan.

The NHA chairman agreed with Hina and stated that a computerised system for the purpose was being launched.

The PAC chairman Rana Tanveer Hussain directed that special attention should be paid to solve the problems of the people and a report on it should be submitted within two weeks.

The meeting was attended by committee members Mushahid Hussain Syed, Noor Alam Khan, Munaza Hassan, Syed Naveed Qamar, Syed Hussain Tariq, Shahida Akhtar Ali, Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, Khawaja Shiraz Mehmood, Amir Mehmood Kiyani and senior officials of the government departments concerned.