PAC seeks 10-year record of Toshakhana

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday sought the record of Toshakhana of the last 10 years and details of gifts received by all the prime ministers, politicians, chiefs of armed forces, judges and bureaucrats.

The PAC also directed a letter should be written to Secretary Cabinet Division, Supreme Court, Army, Navy and Air Force and provincial governors to provide information on the gifts.

During the PAC meeting, the Auditor General of Pakistan revealed the building of Prime Minister Inspection Commission, Islamabad, was in illegal possession of NAB for the past several years.

In the meeting held Tuesday under the chair of Noor Alam Khan, audit paras related to the Ministry of Housing and Works for the financial year 2019-20 were examined. The committee sought the audit report on the construction of houses under the Naya Pakistan Housing Project of PTI government.

While seeking the record of Toshakhana and gifts received by the public office holders, politicians, general and judges during the last 10 years, PAC Chairman Noor Alam directed the record of Toshakhona for the last seven years should be provided to the Auditor General of Pakistan. Member Committee Senator Mohsin Aziz said the record of Toshakhana should be taken from 2013 instead of 2015.

The chairman PAC directed to present details of gifts received by politicians, generals, judges and bureaucrats from 2013 till now.

While taking the issue of dream project of PTI government, Naya Pakistan Housing Project, in the meeting, member committee Dr Malik Mukhtar said the Naya Pakistan Housing Authority gave Rs5 billion to an NGO to build houses. He said the audit authorities should check to whom this fund was given and whether 20,000 houses were actually built.

He said former prime minister Imran Khan had announced to build five million houses, and he heard Rs5 to 8 billion were paid to a private housing society, and this society claimed it constructed 2,000 housing units. The PAC directed the Auditor General of Pakistan to submit the audit report on the Naya Pakistan Housing Project.

While examining the audit para, the Audit officials said for the past several years, the building of Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission had been under the illegal occupation of NAB. The chairman PAC expressed annoyance over the absence of DG NAB and said he should be here and respond to it, as the NAB building had already been constructed in the capital. The audit officials said the Estate Office had issued notices to vacate this building several times.

The chairman PAC said NAB was acting like an occupation mafia. Chairman NAB or Deputy Chairman NAB should come to PAC tomorrow and tell the date for vacating the building, as big politicians were afraid of NAB, he remarked.

He directed to send a notice to NAB to vacate the building of Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission immediately and pay the dues. And if NAB did not vacate the building on the notice, the police should get it vacated. He warned if the NAB did not vacate the building, they will take the help of Islamabad Police, Rangers and FC. “If necessary, they can ask for help from the army,” he said.

While examining another audit para, the audit officials asked the committee for stopping illegal occupation of government houses by the Punjab Police. The committee directed IG Punjab Police to get these quarters vacated within 15 days.

While examining another audit para, the audit officials said 4,087 government houses in Karachi were occupied by retired government employees. They told the committee the Supreme Court had given a verdict to collect rent from the occupants of these houses in 2019.

DG Estate Office told the committee the Estate Office got vacated 400 houses and the process of vacation had now been stopped because a minister distributed ownership certificates of these houses. The chairman PAC directed for presenting the records before the committee immediately.

Secretary Ministry Housing and Works told the committee third and fourth generation of original allottees was living in these houses. “The federal government cannot take action on its own because the matter falls under the purview of provincial government”, he said.

Member committee Afzal Khan said, “Government employees protect each other. That’s why, the houses are not vacated.” The DG Estate Office told the committee MQM minister at that time was Safwanullah.

The chairman PAC directed for submission of documents, so that legal action could be taken. The DG Estate Office said one such case happened in Islamabad where government employees were given ownership rights. The Audit official told the committee Estate Office made allotment of houses against the rules in 2014.