Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader Syed Khurshid Shah has suggested National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to delegate more powers to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in order to weed out corruption from government departments.

In a letter written to the NA speakers, PAC Chairman Khurshid Shah said civil judges have had more powers than the parliamentary forum, as judges used to grant stay orders against the PAC rulings.

“In a scenario where the PAC would be spineless and powerless, how could we recover plundered wealth from the officers whose hands were in gloves with corrupt mafias and were looting national wealth unabatedly,” he questioned. The PAC meeting was held here on Wednesday at the Parliament House, with Khurshid Shah in the chair, to discuss the matters relating to “corruption-plagued” Capital Development Authority CDA and the Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution (EOBI).

Briefing the meeting, auditor general of Pakistan said Rs 119 billion plundered money had been recovered from corrupt officials during the last three years. He said the recovery could be double if the government empowers the AGP and the PAC.

The PAC reprimanded CDA Estate Director Islam Shah for providing wrong and tampered record of Rs 10 billion Grand Hyatt corruption scam and directed him to submit accurate papers.

During Musharraf regime, the CDA board comprising former chairman Kamran Lashari, Kamran Qureshi, Asad Munir, Brigadier Nusrullah and Dr Faisal Awan allegedly allotted a plot measuring 14 acres on Constituent Avenue illegally to the BNP Group for construction of a five star hotel.

PAC members were surprised to know that the accused were still not prosecuted. It was told that Mian Mansha Group, Hashwani Group, Husnain Construction Group and other six companies had applied to buy the plot, but the BNP Group emerged lucky to which Musharraf-led regime allotted the plot without receiving a penny. However, Shah observed that in the four briefings held on the corruption scam, each time the CDA officials change their stance and submit tampered record. He said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had also failed to conclude their investigations into the corruption scandal even after passage of over six years.

EOBI Chairman Farooq told the committee that former EOBI chairman Zafar Gondal had paid Rs 90 million to a Karachi-based consultant for the design of two bungalows being constructed in Sialkot at the cost of Rs 50 million.

Referring to 18th Amendment, he said, “If constitutional complications were not resolved, the EOBI’s performance would not be improved.” The meeting, however, directed the EOBI chairman to send the matter to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for sorting out problems. Overseas Ministry Secretary Khyzer Khan was snubbed by PAC members when he started “onslaught” against 18th Amendment and said some provision of this amendment would jeopardise the federation.

PAC member Dr Azra Pahejo and sister of Asif Zardari also barred him from speaking against “constitutional matters”.