The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was told on Friday that both the minister and secretary for interior were authorised to issue blue passport to anyone they deemed eligible. Secretary Interior Khwaja Sadiq Akbar told the parliamentary panel that a person or a businessman who frequently toured abroad could apply for a government passport, which could be issued by the minister and secretary interior.
This irritated the PAC members who resented the statement, saying that blue passport was the prerogative of government servants and legislators. Criticising the ministry, members of the panel said that a large number of legislators were yet to get their blue passports despite being entitled whereas an ordinary businessman was easily able to get a passport of his/her own choice.
Hamid Yar Hiraj, a member of the panel, contested the interior secretary's statement, besides accusing the passport and immigration department of issuing blue passports to their relatives in sheer violation of the laid down rules. The committee issued directives to the ministry to submit rules pertaining to issuance of blue passport.
The PAC also sought a detailed report from the secretary interior on the theft of 5,634 passports by Travel Agents Association, Karachi. The secretary first showed reluctance to give details but later, he submitted a three-paragraph report to the committee, in which the ministry accepted that passports had been stolen, of which 5,428 had been recovered.
The secretary interior also apprised the panel that some people had been arrested in the case but later they were released on bail. The PAC showed dissatisfaction over the report and ordered to submit a detailed report by next meeting.
The committee also discussed various audit objections over grants of interior ministry and its attached departments, including Frontier Constabulary (FC). Noor Alam Khan, a PPP MNA from Khyeber-Pakhtunkhwa, alleged that the majority of FC personnel were deputed on security duties of US officials in the province.
He also claimed that most FC personnel were also deputed in Islamabad for security of diplomats and VVIPs. Besides, at least 20 FC Jawan each were performing security duties at residences of their top bosses, leaving the people "at the mecy of God", he added.
The committee directed the ministry to provide details of the number of FC personnel, deployed in the Diplomatic Enclave, security of US officials in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including those left for security of general public. The lavish spending of over Rs 1.5 billion on security of VVIPs last year also earned the ire of the panel. Its members said that public money, was being wasted to provide security to relatives of MPs, top bureaucrats and other influential people.
The PAC also sought a detailed report within one week and also proposed to undertake special audit of ministry of interior to take stock of its performance. Interestingly, officials of the interior ministry most of the time seemed stuck for want of a reply, which enraged the committee to the extent that it ordered that if they came unprepared next time, five percent of their salaries will be deducted.