Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday directed the government to formulate a comprehensive policy regarding execution of donor-driven projects. The directive came from PAC Chairman Malik Allah Yar Khan while taking up the audit paras of communication ministry vis-à-vis National Highway Authority and Motorway Police.
Endorsing what Auditor General of Pakistan Younas Khan suggested, PAC chairman said the government should formulate a policy for undertaking any donor-driven project.
Younas suggested that policy guidelines should be very clear for foreign investors or donors and there is need to formulate terms and conditions for donor-funded projects. Chairman Malik Allah Yar Khan directed the Secretary Communications Tariq Mehmood to approach the government in this regard.
Meanwhile, PAC members protested against what they blamed misuse of expensive 5-door vehicles purchased by motorway police. Though, the parliamentary body settled the much-criticised issue of illegal purchase of vehicles worth Rs 151.407 million, yet the members questioned their utility.
The IG Motorway Police Riffat Pasha responded to a volley of questions by the committee members who wanted to know about the utilisation of luxury vehicles.
Auditor General Younas Khan was of the belief that there should be a proper policy to procure vehicles for all the government departments and organisations.
Secretary Tariq Mehmood told the meeting that military personnel are bound to pay toll tax except the vehicle is on official duty besides police van or ambulance.
The PAC directed the NHA to pay due share of motorway police from fine collection proceeds for cash reward and expenditure on road safety campaigns.
Officials of the communication ministry and NHA suffered great embarrassment when PAC members pointed out that an official Altaf Qureshi was heading an inquiry committee to probe excess payment of Rs 35.778 million in a project in which he himself had been associated as project director. Interestingly, the authorities have yet not finalised the probe since 2005 when PAC had directed them to launch an inquiry on the issue.
Expressing anger over the inordinate delay, PAC chairman issued fresh directives to Secretary Tariq Mehmood for a probe and submit the inquiry report. The committee would now meet on Tuesday to take up the audit paras of Pakistan Post.
Those who attended the meeting included Syed Qurban Ali Shah, Qamaruz Zaman Qaira, Tanvir Hussain Syed, Ali Akbar Vaince, Kanwar Khalid Younas, Asia Azeem, Riaz Fatyana, Rai Mansab Ali Khan and Ashiq Ali Gopang.
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