Finance Secy's Absence Annoyed Public Accounts Committee

Absence of secretary finance from the meeting of subcommittee of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) strained the members on Wednesday to postpone the meeting under protest

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Oct, 2019 ) :Absence of secretary finance from the meeting of subcommittee of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) strained the members on Wednesday to postpone the meeting under protest.

The committee, convened by Member of National Assembly Noor Alam Khan, had to discuss 405 audit paras against the Ministry of Finance.

Instead of secretary finance, special secretary finance came to attend the meeting who told the committee that he is in grade 22 and acts as Principal Accounting Officer (PAO) in the absence of secretary.

Member committee Naveed Qamar shockingly asked that how can be there two PAO in the same ministry? He asked him to present the copy of his notification of appointment as PAO.

Contrary to the general practice, the secretary did not inform the committee about his absence, however, he was supposed to write a letter to the committee to seek permission, Noor Alam Khan said.

"Finance Division is in habit to undermine the authority of PAC," he said adding Finance Division do not seem to be in a mood to defend 405 audit paras against them.

"I protest and will not sit here in this meeting," the convener said after which he directed to reschedule the meeting with a condition of presence of secretary finance.

In the previous meeting of PAC, the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) Javed Jahangir also complained to the public accounts committee for superior attitude of finance division.

He said whenever audit make paras against Finance Division, they cut their budget therefore, Audit Department should be brought out of the influence of Finance Division.