Media warned to honour sanctity of PAC like NA
RECORDER REPORT
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) unanimously elected Khurshid Ahmed Shah as its Chairman and a notification in this respect was issued on Wednesday.
Khurshid Shah said that no constitutional institution or government departments would be spared from audit if it fell under Article 170 (2) of the Constitution.
He was responding to a question on summoning Registrar Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Responding to another question, he said he would not sit as Chairman PAC when audit paras of his ministries - Ministry of Religious Affairs and Ministry of Labour and Manpower - would be reviewed by the committee.
Chairman said that the audit year 1998 would be discussed in the meeting and regular meetings of the PAC would be scheduled during December 31 to January 2, 2014. Initially ordinary audit paras would be taken for review, he added.
He also warned the media to honour the sanctity of the PAC like National Assembly and not to pass any questions during the proceedings of the committee to any member.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) members congratulated Khurshid Ahmed Shah and assured him of their full support.
In his address, Khurshid Shah appreciated the role of Pakistan Muslim League Government in offering him the slot of Chairman PAC according to the Charter of Democracy (CoD) that was signed between Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto.
He said it was commendable that 16 Audit Reports were presented in National Assembly by the previous Chairmen PAC. “We have to work with dedication and honesty for bringing further improvements in the performance of the PAC and will try to implement the directives of PAC in its true spirit,” he added.
He further said the committee would work in a non-partisan manner and cooperation of all the members would be essential to hold government departments accountable. “We have to work together for elimination of corruption from government departments as well as work for supremacy of law making institutions,” he maintained.
He vowed that the PAC would enforce accountability and transparency in financial matters of the government. The time has come that bureaucracy would be made accountable, he added.
Member Committee, Abdul Rashid Godil advised the chairman that he should deal strictly with the government departments in auditing financial matters and not show any leniency in this respect.
Arif Alvi said that his party (PTI) would support Khurshid Shah as Chairman. He further said that PAC as a parliamentary watch dog could play a role in recovering billions of rupees.
Raja Muhammad Javed Ikhlas, PML-N said that corruption was the biggest problem of Pakistan. It was the responsibility of the PAC to stop this menace from the government departments.
