A parliamentary panel has directed former Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr Javed Leghari to return Rs 1 million he spent on paying the fee of Islamabad Club; otherwise, the panel will direct the HEC to get an FIR registered against him.
The subcommittee of the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament, which met here under the chairmanship of Shahida Kausar to discuss and review the audit paras of the HEC, was informed by the officials of the Auditor General of Pakistan that the former chairman HEC paid his personal fee from the accounts of the HEC and didn't return the amount.
Member Committee Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that the former chairman HEC is a gentleman and he thinks that the former chairman HEC might have paid Islamabad Club fee from HEC accounts mistakenly, otherwise paying Rs 1 million was not a big issue for a well-off person like him.
The HEC officials informed the panel that former chairman paid the Islamabad Club fee in three installments through cheques. The HEC officials added that the commission has sent almost 20 letters on Dr Leghari's addresses in Dubai, London and Karachi but as yet has not received any response.
The HEC officials said that the Commission has to pay Rs 575,000 to Dr Leghari on account of gratuity but the Commission was waiting for the former HEC chairman's response on HEC letters and in case he is returning the amount, the HEC will pay his dues, otherwise the amount will be deducted from his dues.
Member Committee Sardar Ashiq Hussain Gopang said that it was a criminal act and an FIR should have been registered against Dr Leghari.
Mushahid said that for government servants, Islamabad Club fee is not Rs 1 million but it still is Rs 200,000 and how Dr Leghari end up paying Rs 1 million fee. Sardar Ashiq Hussain Gopang said that it was an individual case as the former chairman HEC got Islamabad Club membership in personal capacity and not in civil servant capacity in 2009-10.
Mushahid said that former HEC chairman has also served as a senator and is always available online and anybody can contact him, adding that he can vouch for his honesty.
The panel also discussed the issue of irregular distribution of 1,000 laptops in COMSATS Institute of Information Technology. Audit officials informed the panel that purchase of laptops cost Rs 24.6 million loss to the COMSATS. Laptops were purchased without issuing tender and moreover Rs 1.3 million was added in the bill on account of consultancy fee.
The panel while discussing the audit objections, worth hundreds of millions of Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Lahore, an attached department of HEC, directed the officials to take up the issue in departmental accounts committee (DAC).
Gopang observed that cancer of corruption and malpractices is eating up top organizations and there is dire need to check the menace. He also asked for a briefing on the system of audit department.
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