Islamabad, September 27, 2022 (PPI-OT):A meeting of Public Accounts Committee was held under the Chairmanship of Mr. Noor Alam Khan, MNA in the Parliament House pertaining to M/o Petroleum Division. As per Agenda, the Committee examined the audit paras for the year 2019-2020 and issued appropriate directions to the PAO for making recoveries of billions of Rupees in the interest of country. The Committee gave the following directions/recommendations:

Recoveries of billions of Rupees be made from defaulters especially from CNG Stations, Hascol and Bicol Companies in the larger interest of Pakistan and compliance on PAC Directives be also ensured;

The Committee directed the PAO to provide perks and privileges/salaries of MDs, DMDs of SNGPL and SSGPL. The matter of determination of salaries of MDs/DMDs would be fixed through Cabinet Division. This will minimize the monopoly of Boards. Moreover, the decision of Salaries and privileges of members of Boards would be made by the Cabinet’s meeting;

Cabinet Division was requested to issue directions to all autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies/corporations/departments to get them annually audited by the Auditor General of Pakistan in line with audit of other Ministries/Divisions/Departments;

The Committee displeased over the unauthorized use of helicopters by 1800 influential persons and underscored the need to make recovery from them.

FIA and NAB were particularly directed to take notice of such violations in future. Moreover, the Committee directed that helicopters would be utilized in other provinces as per Government’s rules in future. The Committee directed the NAB to provide complete list of 1800 persons who have utilized helicopters in KPK unauthorizedly, to the PAC;

The Committee expressed grave concern over appointment of chairperson of SNGPL which reportedly was made in violation of existing rules.

The Committee directed the PAO to provide an authentic copy of minutes of appointment of the Chairperson, SNGPL, besides, issued directions to Auditor General of Pakistan to check and report to the PAC if rules were violated or not in the appointment of chairperson. The Committee further directed the PAO to recover pending recovery of billions of Rupees relentlessly by invoking Land Revenue Act.

A list of defaulters be also provided to the PAC along with detail of recoverable amount thereof. While discussing over the issue, the Committee expressed severe concern as to why the concerned officers did not make recovery since 2015.

The Committee, however, directed the PAO to hold inquiry against such officers who did not make recoveries and fix responsibility thereon and report to the Committee. Detail of recoveries as well as actions to be taken for disconnecting gas connections of defaulters be provided to the Committee in the next meeting of the Committee.

Equitable distribution of gas be ensured to the federation of Pakistan in accordance with article 158 of constitution. Particularly gas be provided to those areas situated in the gas fields such as Sui, Qadirpur, Karak and Rajanpur etc;

All those officers/officials of Ministry and its attached departments holding dual nationality be kept away from policy making rather they should be kept for consultancy purpose only, if unavoidable. The Committee directed the Secretary, Establishment Division to provide a list of all officers/officials working in the Ministries/Divisions/Departments having dual Nationalities, to PAC Secretariat for further directions;

The Committee directed the Secretary, Petroleum Division to take necessary action against the defaulters of CNG’s stations in the country and further directed that gas would not be provided to defaulter thereof. Moreover, responsibility would be fixed against officer who was responsible thereof;

On raising a question, the Committee reviewed the facility of availing free air tickets of PIA employees. The Committee, on compassionate ground, decided that facility of availing free air tickets of PIA be extended only to working and retired employees and not to their families; and The Committee directed the Audit to submit a comprehensive report on newly installed sound system in Committee Room No. 2 of the National Assembly Secretariat.

For more information, contact:
Secretary,
National Assembly of Pakistan
Automation Centre, National Assembly Secretariat,
Parliament House, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9221082-83
Fax: +92-51-9221106
Email: assembly@na.gov.pk
Website: www.na.gov.pk