Government urged to probe into funds' embezzlement by NGO

17 Feb, 2010

Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) on Tuesday urged the government to refer the matter related to the alleged misappropriation of funds by the Network for Consumer Protection, an NGO to Public Accounts Committee (PAC) or appoint an administrator over it for effective probe.
Speaking on a calling attention notice, Yasmeen Rehman said a private audit firm had audited the NGO's record and the Auditor General of Pakistan should intervene for a transparent audit and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) should be directed to appoint an administrator.
Dr Azra Fazal told the House that three audits of the NGO had detected bungling and once in the past, the SECP had also dissolved its board but any concrete step was yet to be taken to fix responsibility for misappropriation. In response, Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Samina Khalid Ghurki said the matter related to the Economic Affairs Ministry where the NGO was registered.
She said the NGO started functioning in 1997 and had a small office in sector G-9 of Islamabad, adding that Social Welfare Ministry just dealt with local NGOs while the said NGO was getting foreign funding that was irrelevant to her ministry.

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