PPP govt tenure: Interior ministry topped in irregular use of secret funds

The ministry spent millions of rupees in the last five years under various heads, including a farewell party.

LAHORE:

Interior Ministry’s National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) has far outstripped the Rs178 million secret spending of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting by utilising over Rs425 million from its secret fund in the last five years, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The NCMC spent the said amount to foot bills for meals, securing accommodation at different hotels for more than 115 individuals including staffers as well as for arranging farewell party for the former interior minister, Rehman Malik

According to the official figures of the spending, an amount of Rs50 million was spent in financial year 2008-2009, Rs110 million spent in 2009-2010, Rs49 million in 2010-2011 while Rs96 million was spent in 2011-2012. An amount of Rs120 million has so far been used in the current financial year.

According to the documents, a hotel in Karachi raised 115 invoices of Rs7.677 million on January 31, 2013; while another hotel in Islamabad claimed an amount of Rs4.2 million.

Sources privy to the matter told The Express Tribune that the expenditures of the farewell party of the outgoing minister Rehman Malik were also met from the head of secret funds.

It is pertinent to note that following a Supreme Court order, a list of 282 journalists had been made public on April 22, 2013. These journalists had received payments and gifts worth Rs177 million from the said fund of the ministry.

The list carried the names of many senior media persons and anchors, some of whom had also been provided air tickets or accommodation as part of official delegations while traveling with senior government dignitaries. A few journalists, who did not choose to travel on the offered trips, had also been included in the list, seemingly erroneously.

According to the rules and regulations, the purpose of the secret fund is only to obtain or uncover sensitive information necessary to protect ‘national interest/national security’. It cannot be used for any other purpose, including emergencies or incidental expenses. All withdrawals are supposed to come under specific heads and justifications.

On the other hand, the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) have reportedly spent an amount of Rs4 million during financial year 2012-2013 from their secret funds. Ironically, the incumbent NHMP Inspector General Zulfiqar Cheema, despite Supreme Court’s clear-cut orders regarding audit of every penny of the public exchequer including secret fund, has not provided the record of expenditures made during his predecessor’s tenure.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2013.