NAB stays away from PAC meeting

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is not giving importance to the proceedings of the sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as on Thursday the committee pended the audit paras worth millions of the rupees due to absence of the NAB officials in the meeting.
The sub-committee met Thursday with its Chairman Syed Naveed Qamar in the chair to review audit paras relating to the Nadra for the fiscal year 2002-03.Though the irregularities worth of millions of rupees were detected in the Nadra, the committee pended these till next meeting due to absence of the NAB officials in the meeting.
The audit officials told the committee that Nadra entered into agreement with the private company ISM and under the agreement the company had to provide 14 scanners to the Nadra but the rules and regulations were not followed while making agreement that caused a loss of Rs30.5 million.
Nadra officials told the committee that this case was referred to the NAB, which is probing it. However, the NAB officials were not present in the meeting to tell the progress on the case so the committee pended the issue till next meeting.
The audit officials told the committee that the Nadra has made an agreement with the sales agent for the filing of data form for the issuance of the Nadra card and in this regard 60.5 million forms were distributed and each form cost about Rs35 but only 14,29,000 forms were returned that caused a loss of Rs50 million to Nadra.
The Nadra officials told the committee that four officials were found responsible but these officials went to the courts of law where they get a relief.They told the committee that the NAB has also filed a reference in this regard. Syed Naveed Qamar questioned about the security process of these data forms.
The Nadra officials told the committee that the contract was awarded to non-professional company which causes a heavy financial loss. The committee directed the NADRA for the inquiry and for the submission of the report to the committee.
While examining another audit para, the audit officials told the committee that the Nadra reached an agreement with the legal company Kundi & Kundi Legal Associates for the provision of legal service and under the agreement the Nadra has to Pay Rs250,000 to the hired company but instead of it the payment of Rs400,000 per month was made that caused a loss of Rs30 million to Nadra.
Chairman Sub-Committee observed that these are serious irregularities which should have been probed. “Is this royal system still running in the Nadra? Was there anyone who questioned? Eeven there was no official from the NAB to attend the meeting and no action could be taken on these audit paras without the presence of the NAB officials,” he further observed.