PAC seeks Toshakhana record of PM, army chief, judges

Seeks records of state gifts received in past 10 years

ISLAMABAD:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday directed the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) to provide the record of gifts received by the public office holders and declared in Toshakhana during the last decade.

PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan, while chairing the session of parliament's apex body, said the state gifts were not awarded to individuals but to the public office holders who represent the government of Pakistan during their foreign visits.

These gifts, under the law, have to be declared and deposited in the Toshakhana, he added.

The committee wanted to know the procedure and law according to which the value of gifts was determined, said Noor Alam.

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He further said that the body also wanted to know the names of political leaders, chief ministers, governors, judges, generals, bureaucrats, the federal secretaries who received gifts during their foreign visits during the last ten years and whether they declared those gifts in Toshakhana or not.

“They were reluctant initially to share the record with PAC therefore I ordered the auditor general to obtain the record," the chairman said, adding that later the committee will review the process of auction of those gifts.

The committee while considering the audit report of 2019-20 pertaining to audit paras against Pak PWD, estate office and Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation, directed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to vacate possession of the Shaheed-e-Millat secretariat building in 15 days period and submit the compliance report to the committee.

The committee also directed NAB to immediately pay dues to the Pak PWD failing which the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Frontier Constabulary (FC) and if needed Pakistan Army to initiate action to get vacate the building from NAB’s possession and recover the amount of dues.

The committee also directed the AGP to stop payment of pensions to those retired officers who failed to vacate their official residence after their retirement and do not submit NOC.

The committee took strong exception to such official residences which were still under the use of retried officials and the estate office was helpless to get them vacated.

“I know, my file is with you, do whatever you want, I have faced Imran Khan for three years and will also face you, but you will have to vacate the building immediately,” said the PAC chairman while talking to the NAB officials who were justifying the possession.

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In another audit para regarding non-recovery of dues from the allottees of houses and shops all over Pakistan, the chairman directed chief ministers, chief secretaries to get such houses, shops and petrol pumps vacated from allottees and to re-auction them according to the latest market value.

The committee also directed FIA to initiate legal proceedings against ministers, governors and officials involved in the allotment of government property at low rates.

(With Inputs from APP)