ISLAMABAD: Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Rana Tanveer Hussain Thursday revealed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman has been directed to appear before the committee on January 26 to respond to the audit objections highlighted in the audit reports.

Responding to a question, he said that Prime Minister Secretariat had informed the PAC Secretariat that no correspondence happened with chairman NAB or PAC on the matter of chairman NAB appearance in the PAC. Now, he said the committee was probing who wrote letter to the PAC Secretariat and made reference of Prime Minister. “If chairman NAB had written letter himself than reference against him will be made after consultation of members’ committee and in case his staff had written, Chairman NAB will be asked to take appropriate action against them”, he added.

Earlier, the Chairman Committee also directed the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) to submit a detailed report on those government departments, which were refusing access to their record for audit purposes. He also asked the AGP to carry out its audit and set an example that no entity was exempted from audit.

The committee also examined audit report 2019-20 of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Earlier, Dr Syed Hussain Abidi, chairman Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) shared information regarding the pilot project of hemp production in Rawat and Lahore.

The secretary Ministry of Science and Technology said the government would formulate a policy in consultation with stakeholders for medicated and industrial hemp export which would help to generate foreign exchange.

He said that industrial hemp was consumed in textile and auto sector and medical hemp was utilised in pharmaceutical and herbal medicines.

He further said that narcotics division had reservation over production of medicated hemp but they would be produced under tight security and proper surveillance.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022