NAB’s delay irks PAC sub-committee

Says officers of graft buster don’t attend committee meetings

ISLAMABAD:

A sub-committee of the parliament’s accountability arm – the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) – has expressed displeasure over lack of progress on the audit paras referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and noted that no institution is above the law.

A subcommittee of PAC on Friday reviewed the audit paras of the Establishment Division from 2012-13 till 2019.  The committee’s convener – MNA Raja Riaz – noted that the committee had referred seven cases to NAB and asked it to work on them but the graft buster has not submitted any response.

A member of the sub-committee, MNA Noor Alam Khan, noted that NAB officers don’t come to PAC meetings even when summoned.

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“It is sad. NAB summons politicians expeditiously but its officers like NAB chairman and director general don’t come to PAC meetings. NAB should respond with regard to the cases referred to it on time. Are you people [NAB officials] above the law?” he added.

Later the sub-committee asked NAB to respond to the audit paras referred to it in three months. It also asked officials to resolve minor audit paras at the level of departmental accounts committees (DACs).