PAC cancels crucial scheduled meeting

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Sindh Assembly on Tuesday cancelled its scheduled meeting for April 11-12 to discuss the audit paras of Sindh University, Shah Abdul Latif University, Quaid-e-Awam University, Karachi University and all educational boards due to non-serious attitude of the concerned officials of these educational institutions.
The committee also decided to approach Sindh Chief Minister and Chief Secretary against the officials. This was stated by PAC Chairman Sardar Jam Tamachi Unnar while briefing media after the committee's meeting here at committee room-1 of Sindh Assembly.
He said that the PAC was scheduled to meet on Wednesday and Thursday (April 11, 12) to discuss and settle the deferred audit paras of Sindh University, Shah Abdul Latif University, Quaid-e-Awam University, Karachi University and all educational boards of the province.
But, due to non-serious attitude of the concerned officials of these institutions, the committee decided not to hold the scheduled meetings and it would write letters against the officials to Chief Minister and Chief Secretary Sindh, he added. Earlier, the committee's meeting was held here with Unarr in the chair, which was also attended by other members including Ghulam Mujadid Isran, Amir Moin Pirzada and concerned officials. The PAC reviewed total 12 deferred audit paras of three universities including six deferred paras of NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, four deferred paras of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro and two deferred paras of Liaqat University of Medical and Health Sciences.
But, it settled only three audit paras out of the total 12 paras reviewed by it. The committee gave one-week time to the officials of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro to settle their audit paras. During the meeting, Vice Chancellors, Liaqat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, and Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam raised the issue of funding to Universities and called upon Sindh Government to give grants to provincial universities as governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were doing.
They also pleaded the committee to write to higher authorities in this regard. Upon this, Unnar directed PAC staff to write letters to Sindh Governor and Chief Minister Sindh in this regard. It may be noted here that after the cancellation of April 11 and 12 meetings, the PAC would now meet on April 17 and 18 to review the audit paras of Irrigation and Law departments of different financial years.