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Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) termed the proceedings of National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under the chairmanship of any former federal minister against the set international auditing and accounting standards and announced to boycott the future committee meetings. The PAC met with Syed Khurshid Ali Shah in the chair to discuss the audit paras of Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.
Auditor General of Pakistan Muhammad Akhtar Buland Rana opined that the audit reports of Ministry of Foreign Affairs for year 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 relate to the previous government of the Pakistan Peoples Party. Therefore, it is inappropriate that a chairman or convenor of the PAC should discuss such audit reports in the committee which are related to the previous government.
He further showed his distrust on four former ministers who are members of the PAC on the grounds that most of the audit reports which have been laid or will be laid in the PAC for discussion relate to the period in which they served as ministers. Chairman Syed Khurshid Shah, Naveed Qamar, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad and Shafqat Mahmood served as ministers in previous governments.
In his arguments, he said that the public accounts committee in British Parliament discusses the audit reports of current fiscal year because of the continuity of democratic process and opposition leader in British Parliament is the head of parliamentary oversight. Auditor General plays a key role in parliamentary oversight and parliamentary accountability in British Parliamentary System.
He further said, "Accountability process is acceptable to all when it is transparent and impartial. This could be possible only if audit reports and members PAC do not have any conflict of interest. In other words, the reports laid for discussion in the PAC must not be related to the tenure of any former minister." It is international standards, he added.
He further urged that no person can judge his own case. Citing example, he said that judges in the courts of law keep themselves away from such cases where they find any sort of personnel involvement. "We have drawn the higher authority's attention towards this situation in written. We have further requested the PAC to give us opportunity to arrange an exclusive session covering all the issues, but the PAC secretariat did not respond to the request," he added. The statement of the AGP sparked resentment among the members of the PAC, who showed full confidence in the chairmanship of Syed Khurshid Ali Shah. They termed distrust of AGP on ruling of the PAC unfounded and against the parliamentary norms. The committee held in-camera meeting and discussed the behaviour of the AGP. Later, Khurshid Shah held a meeting with Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and discussed various options, well-placed sources revealed.
Earlier, in his defence Syed Khurshid Shah said he knew why the AGP made such a statement, but he would give the statement after listening to his recorded statement. However, former Petroleum Minister Syed Naveed Qamar showed his utter displeasure and said that AGP's statement was a breach of privilege of members committee as he showed full confidence in the committee when its members took oath. He termed the statement as revenge against the PAC for initiating proceedings against the AGP for illegally increasing his own perks and privileges. He asked the AGP to withdraw his statement or face the consequences. He further said it was strange that he showed distrust in the PAC after spending one and half years in PAC.
Arif Alvi endorsed the statement of Naveed Qamar and said that the PAC was a parliamentary body and its decision could not be challenged in any court of law or by any bureaucrat. They are public representatives and answerable to the parliament. He further said the proceeding against the AGP was kept in camera by two members committee, but he made a public statement which shows his personal grudge. Other members of the committee also fully supported and backed the chairman and convenors of the sub-committees.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2014

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