Islamabad

PAC takes exception to irregularities in varsities

HEC official fails to satisfy committee over award of contracts by various universities

Our Correspondent December 23, 2021

The candidate finalised for appointment will be entitled to the proposed salary package equivalent to the maximum of MP-II scale along with admissible allowances. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:

A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has taken strong exception to the award of contracts by the project management unit of the NUST Islamabad, the Comsats Institute of Information Technology, the University of Peshawar and the Agricultural University Rawalpindi in violation of rules.

The PAC sub-committee chaired by Convener Naveed Qamar expressed frustration at the HEC officials for failing to satisfy the committee over the irregularities identified by the audit officials from 2010-218.

The PAC panel held a meeting to review the audit objections related to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) from 2010-11 to 2017-18. HEC Executive Director Shaista Sohail appeared before the committee as the Principal Accounting Officer.

According to the audit briefing presented before the committee, various construction works were awarded illegally by the project management unit of different universities.

The NUST Islamabad awarded six different contracts worth Rs376 million, Rs174 million, Rs48 million, Rs123 million, Rs42 million and Rs74 million in violation of rules.

Likewise, the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology awarded one contract worth Rs477 million, the Agriculture University Rawalpindi awarded a contract worth Rs477 million and the Peshawar University awarded the contract worth Rs509 million.

When Convener Naveed Qamar inquired from the HEC and other officials about the replies, the Principal Accounting Officer failed to satisfy the committee.

Shaista Sohail, the principal accounting officer requested Naveed Qamar to skip the audit paras. To this, Naveed Qamar asked her not to dictate the proceedings as she was supposed to provide satisfactory answers to the committee.

“You are the ones who are running the education system of the whole country,” Qamar said while censuring the principal accounting officer.

The convener ordered the office to issue a notice to the Principal Accounting Officer and adjourned the meeting in protest.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2021.