ISLAMABAD: The absence of Director General (DG) Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday irked the parliamentarians who directed the PAC Secretariat to ensure the presence of Secretary Defence and DG FWO in the next meeting.

Noor Alam Khan chaired the committee meeting.

The committee deferred discussion on audit reports pertaining to the FWO due to the absence of the heads.

The Chairman directed the PAC Secretariat to write letters to Secretary Defence and DG FWO to appear before the committee in the next meeting for respond to audit objections raised in various audit reports on FWO.

Chairman committee said that parliament was an important forum to keep a check on the corruption in the public sector and it should be given due importance as per law. He said calling the meeting of PAC costs public exchequer, therefore, the principal accounting officers (PAOs) should ensure their presence in the meeting to respond to audit objections.

The committee further directed ministries and other government departments to invite officials of the NAB and the FIA in case of audit paras related to them in the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) before bringing these paras before the PAC.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022