Daily Times

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) successfully recovered around one trillion rupees over the past year, with a commitment to taking decisive action against individuals who have harmed the national exchequer.

These revelations were made by Chairman PAC MNA Noor Alam Khan during the budget debate on Tuesday in the National Assembly. As the Chairman of PAC for the past year, Noor Alam Khan emphasized the committee’s efforts in recovering the substantial amount, clarifying that it was a collective accomplishment, not solely his own. He emphasized that he did not witness any preferential treatment or bias among the Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) during the recovery process and functioning of PAC. He further declared that he draws a monthly salary of Rs. 168,000 as an MNA and an additional Rs. 20,000 as Chairman of the PAC. He said that individuals engaged in corrupt practices should face the consequences of their actions.

During his speech, Chairman Khan exposed instances of corruption amounting to billions of rupees in programs such as the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami, the BRT project in Peshawar, the health sector, and the police department. He expressed concerns about the lack of a submitted report regarding corruption complaints surrounding the Mohmand Dam project. Moreover, as the Chairman PAC, he summoned the Registrar of the apex court, along with records of funding cases related to the Basha Dam, questioning the absence of audits for the account and the failure to utilize Rs. 17 billion collected for the project. Noor Alam Khan raised a significant question about the allocation of 190 million pounds to an individual, emphasizing that this wealth belonged to Pakistan, and the national exchequer suffered as a result. Chairman PAC firmly asserted that individuals who exploit Pakistan’s wealth, incite unrest, and deceive its people cannot consider themselves true Muslims. He emphasized that Pakistan was founded on Islamic principles.

The Chairman also recalled the disqualification of two prime ministers based on holding Aqama and failing to write a letter. He underscored the responsibility of the apex court to protect the constitution without making changes, as that authority lies with the parliament. He called upon the judiciary to fulfill its role and acknowledged the sacrifices made by politicians in the past for the restoration of deposed judges in 2007. He highlighted the imprisonment and death sentences imposed on political leaders in the past, while emphasizing that certain individuals still hold unwarranted favoritism toward a particular person. He lamented the backlog of thousands of pending cases in the courts, which disproportionately affects the underprivileged.