PAC orders audit of FCE over ‘large-scale irregularities’

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered a special audit of the Federal College of Education over alleged large-scale irregularities and corruption. The Federal College of Education is a subsidiary of the Federal Ministry of Education. The PAC also sought details of the recruitments in the last 10 years in the Federal College of Education and recruitments in the education ministry and all its subsidiary institutions in the last five years.

The PAC meeting was chaired by Chairman Noor Alam Khan, in which the audit objections related to the Ministry of Federal Education were reviewed. The PAC chairman said that there have been widespread irregularities in the Federal College of Education including its in bank accounts and release of funds. He ordered that the overall performance and accounts of the college should be audited and action should be taken against those involved in corruption.

Noor Alam inquired from audit officials why they did not carry out the DAC of the college. Audit officials said that one DAC was done on April 12 and one on April 18. Noor Alam Khan said that the DAC is not mentioned in the audit brief, and until DAC is mentioned in the brief, the audit para will not be reviewed. The committee postponed the review of audit objections due to the non-mention of the DAC in the brief.

The committee chairman asked education ministry officials to tell the PAC about the mechanism of recruitment in the ministry at the next meeting. He said that the PAC meeting on the issue will be called in 15 days and nothing will be discussed without the DAC record. The committee also directed to seek parliamentary approval on the issue of two grants for the Federal Education and Professional Training Division.