PAC probes mosque solar project lapses

Committee orders inquiry into Rs200m advance payment, questions diversion of uplift funds

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has taken notice of Rs200 million advance payment made under the mosque solarization project in Mardan and has ordered a formal inquiry into the matter. The committee instructed that the investigation report be submitted within one month.

During the session, concerns were also raised regarding the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) for allegedly diverting development funds to pay employee salaries and cover other non-developmental expenses.

The PAC meeting was initially chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and later by MPA Idrees Khattak.

At the start of the session, Speaker Swati noted that the committee was meeting after a prolonged gap due to a year-long period of political instability in the country.

He also referenced recent Indian aggression, stating that the Pakistani armed forces had decisively countered the threat, securing a symbolic '6-0' victory, and reaffirmed Pakistan's readiness to respond to any future aggression.

The session reviewed the audit report for the fiscal year 2018–19. During deliberations, financial irregularities amounting to Rs145.4 million within the PDA were examined.

According to officials from the Auditor General's office, the PDA had decided to invest a surplus amount of Rs1.8 billion, of which Rs1.15 billion was invested. However, Rs650 million remained unutilized.

In response, the Secretary for Local Government explained that the uninvested funds were used to pay employee salaries due to delays in disbursements from the Finance Department.

PAC Chairman Idrees Khattak questioned the legality of using funds allocated for one purpose for a different purpose.

The secretary further clarified that, to ensure operational continuity, funds are sometimes internally reclassified into various categories, and that operational funds are occasionally redirected to cover development expenditures.

The PAC instructed the PDA and other departments and public institutions to regularly convene Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) meetings to ensure transparency and accountability.

PAC member Abdul Salam Afridi brought the issue of the Rs200 million advance payment in the Mardan mosque solarization project to the committee's attention, stating that no physical work had begun despite full payment.

He added that repeated requests for an inquiry to the Local Government Department and Anti-Corruption Establishment had not yielded any progress.

In response, the Local Government Secretary stated that an inquiry against the former Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMO) of Mardan had been initiated and the official had been removed from office.