PAC orders recovery of dues from K-P govt’s copter users

Directs NAB to look into those who are taking free trips on Punjab govt’s helicopter

ISLAMABAD:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered recovery of dues from the people, including politicians, who used the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government’s helicopter without paying a single dime after the National Accountability Bureau submitted a list of 1,800 people who flew in it.

According to the list, apart from PTI Chairman Imran Khan, more than 40 political figures used the helicopter. “PTI leader Faisal Javed took 10 free trips on the helicopter, and Imran's former wife Reham Khan as well as Abrarul Haq took two free trips each.”

PTI leaders Shehryar Afridi, Hafeezullah and Amin Aslam used the helicopter, while the list also contains names of journalists – Fariha Idris, Dr Shahid Masood and Arshad Sharif.

The PAC meeting was held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Noor Alam Khan.

The PAC chairman said that the money will be collected in NAB after recovery from the helicopter users, instructing NAB to check the helicopter details of the Punjab government.

He said, “There is a threat to my life due to which Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif) has given me two vehicles, one of which is bulletproof. A party leader and his followers had tried to target me … but I am returning the bulletproof vehicle because I can't afford its petrol.”

Noor said nowadays, the helicopter of Punjab government was also being used a lot, directing NAB to check it too.

The PAC also wrote a letter of appreciation to NAB for submitting the list of 1,800 people.

Federal Investigation Agency Director General Mohsin Butt, while giving a briefing, said that the inquiry into the damage caused by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Premier Service had been resumed.

According to the DG FIA, the national exchequer lost Rs3.19 billion due to the new service launched during the PML-N era. After completion of the inquiry, the report will be submitted to PAC.

In the previous meeting, PAC had expressed reservations over closing the inquiry on the basis of lack of evidence.

Briefing the members of the committee, the DG FIA informed that the rental of iPads for PIA also caused a loss of Rs90.9 million.

“The FIRs have been registered and challan has also been submitted. Two people are absconding … their bail is being cancelled.”

The PAC directed to block the identity cards of the accused.

Noor said this move would close their bank accounts, and they will come on their own.

The DG FIA also gave a briefing on the fake degree cases in the PIA, saying that 15 cases had been registered, while further inquiries were under way.

The DG FIA said that the fake degree cases were related to Karachi, Sindh, Punjab, K-P etc.

He disclosed that there were 840 cases of fake degrees in the PIA.

The PAC also directed action against the assistants and facilitators of the fake degree holders.

Further, the PAC issued directives for setting up convenience desks for labourers and overseas Pakistanis at all airports across the country, saying that not just dual citizens, including parliamentarians, but workers abroad were also respectable.

The Airport Security Force (ASF) director general informed the committee members that up to 15,000 ASF personnel were deployed at all airports across the country.

“Local security forces are deployed at the airports of Gwadar, Turbat and Peshawar.”

According to the audit para, rules were violated in procurement of weapons for ASF. Departmental action has been initiated against five officers for violating the rules.