PAC orders suspension of seven officials over audit lapse

The corruption watchdog of the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday ordered the suspension of seven local council officials, including the chief officer of District Council Jacobabad, over failure to submit audit records and absence from a key oversight meeting.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) issued the directives during a session chaired by Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, where audit paras of local councils in Larkana Division for 2024-25 were reviewed.

Out of 19 local councils, seven failed to provide audit records, while their respective officers also skipped the meeting. Expressing strong displeasure, the PAC ordered the suspension of senior officials, including chief municipal officers of Shikarpur and Shahdadkot, along with town officers from Ghazi Khuhawar, Ghauspur, Guddu and Kashmore.

"The PAC is the highest constitutional forum of accountability in the province. Failure to submit audit records or attend meetings amounts to negligence," Khuhro said, warning of strict action against non-compliant officers.

The meeting also uncovered alleged violations of procurement rules by the Municipal Committee Jacobabad. Officials were found to have awarded contracts worth Rs150 million to a single contractor through quotations, bypassing mandatory tendering procedures.

The justification cited in official documents referred to a rain emergency in 2022. However, the contracts were reportedly issued in 2023 after the emergency had ended.

Taking notice, the PAC ordered the removal of the chief municipal officer of Jacobabad and directed authorities to appoint a replacement.

In a separate decision, the committee also ordered the removal of a former chief officer of District Council Kashmore-Kandhkot, currently posted in Bolhari, over awarding contracts worth Rs17 million for sanitation and other works through quotations.

The developments highlight growing scrutiny over financial irregularities and governance lapses in local government bodies across Sindh, with the PAC reiterating its intent to enforce accountability.