Officer Suspended For Overstepping Authority In Audit Papers

Umer Jamshaid Published September 18, 2025 | 11:36 PM

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has suspended the Section Officer (General Administration) of the College Education Department for signing audit working papers in place of the department’s secretary, a move deemed as exceeding his authority. said a news release

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Sep, 2025) The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has suspended the Section Officer (General Administration) of the College education Department for signing audit working papers in place of the department’s secretary, a move deemed as exceeding his authority. said a news release.

The committee also directed the College Education Department’s secretary to nominate a Grade-19 Additional Secretary as the focal person for PAC matters, said a news release.

The decision came during a PAC meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Nisar Khuhro at the committee room. Committee member Qasim Siraj Soomro, College Education Secretary Shahab Qamar Ansari, Chief Engineer Education Works, and other officials attended the meeting.

The committee reviewed the audit paras of the College Education Department’s Works Services for the fiscal year 2024-25.

During the session, PAC members expressed displeasure over the department’s failure to provide complete records and voiced distrust over the performance of officials.

PAC members also objected to the audit working papers being signed by the Section Officer and Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) instead of the Principal Accounting Officer, i.e., the Secretary.

Committee member Qasim Siraj Soomro questioned why the Section Officer signed documents reserved for the Secretary, stressing that only the Secretary is authorized to do so. Chairman Nisar Khuhro remarked that the Section Officer had clearly exceeded his powers by doing so.

Following this, PAC ordered the suspension of Section Officer and DDO Ghulam Mustafa and directed the Secretary to appoint a Grade-19 Additional Secretary as the focal person for PAC in the future.