ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday sought a report from the Ministry of Narcotics Control about Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s narcotics case while warning that a complaint will be sent to Army Chief General Asim Munir against the then director general of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) if the report could not prove the allegations.
The PAC meeting was chaired by Noor Alam Khan, in which he warned to write a letter to the army chief complaining about the DG ANF in case the report found that the case against Sanaullah was fabricated.
The audit report of the Narcotics Control Division for the year 2019-20 is being reviewed by the committee.
The minister was arrested in July 2019 under the previous government by the ANF. It had claimed to have recovered 15kg of heroin from his vehicle.
Senator Mushahid Hussain said if a uniformed officer would tell a lie and mislead the masses in a press conference, he should be court-martialed.
He said the case was false, fabricated, and politically motivated.
He further said that the allegations leveled against Sanaullah were found to be false during the trial proceeding of the Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS).
Secretary Narcotics Division Humaira Ahmed told the committee that this case was registered on some particular information.
She requested the committee to defer this matter till the next date as she was not prepared to respond to the question related to Rana Sanaullah’s case.
The committee directed the ministry to submit a report about the incident in a week and also sought a report if any action has been taken against the officers responsible for implicating a parliamentarian.
The committee also examined irregularities in the financial affairs of the Islamabad Club.
The management told the committee that the club is suffering from Rs50million losses per annum.
The chairman committee observed that the charges for food and services are more than other restaurants but still the club is suffering from losses.
The club administration briefed the committee that Islamabad Club was in loss in last financial year.
The revenue of Islamabad Club in the financial year 2021-22 was one billion 32 crore 56 lakh rupees. The total expenditure in the financial year 2021-22 was one billion 37 crore 92 lakh rupees.
The assets of the club are worth two billion 74 crore rupees, the liabilities of the club are 96 crore 93 lakh rupees.
Members of Parliament are charged Rs500,000 entry fee for permanent membership, Rs6,625 per month.
Members of Parliament are charged an entry fee of Rs2 lakh for tenure membership, Rs3,625 per month.
Civil servants of Grade-17 or above are charged an entry fee of Rs5 lakh for permanent membership, Rs3,625 per month.
A civil servant of Grade-21 or above is charged Rs50,000 per annum, Rs3,625 per month for tenure membership.
Diplomats are charged $750 for six months, $1,500 for one year, $3,000 for two years.
Each diplomat is also charged $125 per month.
Non-diplomatic foreigners are charged 5,000 dollars for two years, 150 dollars per month and 1,625 rupees.
Corporate bodies are charged Rs16,625 per month for 10 years of membership of five persons Rs250 lakhs per month.
Private members are charged entry fee of Rs35 lakh, form fee of Rs50,000 and monthly fee of Rs6,625.
Currently, the total number of members of the Islamabad Club is 9,668.
The club has 387 Members of Parliament, 4,909 civil servants, 28 diplomats, and seven foreign members.
However, the committee deferred the issue till next week.
The committee noticed the ban on entry of Sheikh Rohail Asghar in Islamabad Club for wearing dhoti.
PAC member Rohail Asghar expressed anger over the dress code of the Islamabad Club administration.
Shalwar Kameez is our national dress and must be respected, RohailAsghar said while adding that instead, the club refuses to serve.
A formal dress code applies in the formal dining hall, the club administration said. The dress code is part of the club's traditions.
Noor Alam Khan directed the administration to call a board meeting and review the condition of dress code.
Dress code is discrimination, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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