PAC summons SC registrar again for lack of audit

Committee’s chairman says top court not having its records scrutinised for last 10 years

ISLAMABAD:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament on Tuesday again summoned the Supreme Court’s registrar for not conducting an audit of the SC’s financial records.

PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan observed that the top court was not having its financial records audited for the past 10 years.

The committee also recommended the immediate removal of Gun and Country Club Administrator Naeem Bukhari and withdrawal of all his privileges.

A meeting of the PAC was held in which the audit reports of the inter-provincial coordination and housing ministries were reviewed.

The committee expressed its displeasure over the absence of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi from the huddle.

PAC member, PML-N MNA Shaikh Rohale Asghar, said the PCB chairman appeared to consider himself from the elite class.

While reviewing the audit objections, the PAC chairman inquired who was the head of the Gun and Country Club.

The inter-provincial coordination secretary informed him that Naeem Bukhari was appointed the administrator of the club by the top court.

He added that Bukhari was running a “one-man show”, even disregarding the ministry in the process.

The committee's chairman questioned the SC’s authority to appoint the administrator of the club.

The PAC recommended the immediate removal of Bukhari from his post as well as the withdrawal of all his perks and privileges.

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The committee also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials to visit the Gun and Country Club for an inquiry.

The PAC chairman told the audit officers to accompany the FIA and NAB officials on their visit to the club and see how its records were not provided to them.

The committee directed them to acquire the financial records of the club.

The PAC also summoned the SC registrar after Eid for not conducting the audit of the top court for the past 10 years.

The committee’s chairman said he was not scared of anyone.

He recalled that the PAC had even sought from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) the record of the plots allotted to judges, parliamentarians, federal cabinet members, and bureaucrats.

He added that the PAC had reprimanded the CDA chief for not providing these details.

Noor said the PAC had asked the CDA chairman for the list of owners of the apartments at One Constitution Avenue and their money trails.

He added that the committee had told him to ascertain which bureaucrats, judges, and politicians had bought apartments at One Constitution Avenue and also find out from where they received the money to purchase them.

The PAC also summoned the representatives of all major car manufacturing companies.

Speaking about the demise of Religious Affairs Minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor in a road accident in Islamabad on Saturday, the PAC chairman observed that the airbag of his vehicle did not open when it was hit.

The PAC also decided to invite Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and industry and production ministry officials.

MNA Rohale Asghar pointed out that he was involved in a road accident too and the airbag had not opened back then as well.

The PAC chairman said that the representatives of the vehicle manufacturing companies would be asked about the failure of the airbags not opening and other safety features as well.

The committee directed that the entry of double cabin private vehicles in Islamabad’s Red Zone should be stopped.

During the meeting, the occupation of 252 government officers was revealed in Federal Lodges Islamabad.

The housing secretary told the committee that officers coming from other cities were given accommodation in Federal Lodges for one year. After the completion of that period, it was extended for six months, he added.

Audit officials said that currently there were 252 officers, who had been staying in Federal Lodges for many years.

They added that 150 of them had acquired stay orders from the courts.

The PAC directed the housing ministry to vacate the Federal Lodges immediately.