A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) learnt of errant appointments of consultants at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNAC) in a meeting held on Tuesday.
Committee Convener Noor Alam Khan remarked that any illegal appointment will be met with strict action.
The committee sought details of the appointments of former PNCA director generals (DGs) and directors and disposed of objections on the appointment of incumbent PNAC DG Fauzia Saeed.
It also summoned the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman on the issue of non-refund of Rs27 million to the PNAC. The committee further reviewed the audit paras of the National Heritage and Culture Division (NHCD) for 2017-18. It read that the PNAC paid an amount to the CDA for the construction of its building.
However, a sum of Rs27 million was not spent and the CDA still owed it.
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NHCD Secretary Nousheen Javed told the committee that the PNCA wrote multiple letters to the civic authority in this regard but received no response. As a result of this, the committee has summoned the CDA chairman at the next meeting.
The convener stated that the matter remained unresolved for the past several years and should be resolved at the earliest.
According to the audit briefing, the appointments of consultants made at the PNCA between 2015 and 2017 were found to be in violation of its rules and regulations. The audit officials told the committee that the recruitments were done without sharing advertisements in newspapers and following defined procedures.
The convener inquired regarding the appointment of incumbent PNCA DG Fauzia Saeed. She responded by saying that she had served as the head of Lok Virsa for three years, however, Khan directed the audit officials to look into her appointment as well.
The audit officials informed the committee that they had written a para regarding Fauzia’s appointment which had been discussed in the departmental accounts committee. Fauzia clarified that she had applied after the post was advertised.
At this, the committee postponed further consideration of the audit objection against the PNCA incumbent chief and sought details of the appointments of former PNCA DGs and directors.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2021.
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