PAC expresses extreme displeasure over NAB chairman’s absence

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday expressed its extreme displeasure over the absence of National Accountability (NAB) Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal from the committee’s meeting and issued a warning that the committee may issue show-cause notice or warrant for him to ensure his appearance before the standing committee if he doesn’t turn up in the next meetings.

PAC Chairman Rana Tanveer Hussain during the proceedings of the committee said PAC got the responsibility to oversee the entire budget and all options would be explored to know the current status of the NAB recoveries.

“This sort of attitude is not acceptable we got the authority to issue him show-cause notice besides issuing the warrant for him to make him appear before the committee,” the chair stated.

Earlier a member of PAC, Noor Alam Khan pointed out that the chairman NAB never appeared before the committee and same was the case with the chairman of NADRA.

The members during the proceedings of the committee severely criticized the matters related Utility Stores, the automobile industry, sugar, fertilizer etc.

Noor Alam Khan asked the chair to make the high up of the ministry of industries to appear before the committee so that issues like quality of sugar, vehicles etc could be taken up in the meeting. He said the vehicles aren’t delivered on time by the players of the automobile industry.

Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated that the deletion the programme for auto sector had ended in Pakistan in 1998 but still automobiles aren’t entirely manufacturing with the local resources and that’s the reason behind Pakistan not exporting vehicles.

He said the tool for controlling engine emissions are not installed in the vehicles while functional airbags in the cars are still a dream to achieve. He said foreign countries which produce tea adopt ways and means to stop cultivation of tea in Pakistan and same is the case with palm oil.

Rana Tanveer Hussain said that Millat Tractor was supposed to act upon on deletion programme till 1998 but still the quality of the tractor is an issue. He said the government extended the funds to Utility Stores which it received under the head of coronavirus. However, the quality of ghee and wheat flour has worsened.

He said only eight to 10 families were involved in the business of sugar. He said water consumption in cultivation for sugarcane is much higher compared with rice, wheat and cotton. He said cotton has been replaced in the country with the cultivation of sugarcane.

“Three months back a politician purchased Chistiyan Sugar Mills. People are selling their kidneys and we are protecting influential persons,” he observed. He said fertilizer sector was getting gas on the subsidized rate while bag of DAP which was earlier being sold at Rs5000 is now being sold at Rs10,000.

The chair maintained that it was mandatory for every entity to hold regular meetings of the departmental account committee every month. He said the principal accounting officers are supposed to appear before the PAC. He said they need to settle paras themselves but principal accounting officers don’t come in the PAC meetings although a letter was also written to the prime minister in this connection.