Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee has taken notice of non-adjustment of $101,414 and 3,000 euros as tips during foreign trips of Presidents and Prime Ministers.

A meeting of the Sub-committee Ill of the Public Accounts Committee was held under Ashiq Gopang on Tuesday.

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry told the body about the trips of Presidents and Prime Ministers to Egypt, Poland, Bosnia, Russia, Switzerland and Uzbekistan between 2004 and 2009. He said during the trips, tips were given to waiters, drivers, security guards and other staff of the hotels.

Committee Member Arif Alvi said the amount is quite big to be paid as tips.

Chaudhry said during his tenure as foreign secretary he followed the Public Procurement Rules. Gopang said that those who violated the rules should be punished. On informal expenditures in Kiev, Nairobi, Muscat, Tunis, Geneva, Amman, Warsaw and Moscow, the secretary said that they needed amount for getting services of cleaners and gardeners in missions abroad but the Finance Ministry objected to it. The committee recommended to create these posts in the future at the missions. The committee also recommended verification of amounts of advanced security deposits for accommodations in Frankfurt and Singapore. The committee ordered the departments concerned to revisit un-authorised expenditures incurred for cars. The body also sought verification of the sale of the embassy residence in Manila and international school in Jakarta. The auditor general of Pakistan said they were sold without any proper bids.

Chaudhry said that the case has been sent to the GHQ to recover $30,500 from former Ambassador Lt Gen Iftikhar Hussain.