The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Tuesday took serious notice of embezzlement while selling Pakistani embassies buildings in Jakarta and Tokyo and directed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit a detailed report in this regard within 30 days.
The committee expressed displeasure over Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which failed in conducting inquiry over reported corruption in the sale of Pak embassies buildings abroad several years ago. The committee said that ministry has already been directed by the PAC in the past to submit the inquiry report, but nothing has been done nor it would provide any report in future.
The committee regretted that the official, who identified the embezzlement in sale of building in Jakarta, was made Officer on Special Duty (OSD) and after passage of several years he died due to tension. The ministry failed to protect the official who was right to point out malpractice and even did not provide any sort of relief to the family of victim, the committee added. Acting Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alamgir Baber told the committee that the inquiry report would be submitted to the committee within few hours.
Meanwhile, the NAB representative informed the committee that the inquiry into sale of Pakistan embassies buildings in Jakarta and Tokyo is being done by NAB. The PAC directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit its inquiry report within three days to PAC, NAB. It also directed the NAB to complete the inquiry in these two cases within a month.
Chairman of the committee, Nadeem Afzal Gondal presided over the meeting of the committee and examined accounts/audits reports/special audit reports for the audit years 2004-05 and 2006-07, relating to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The PAC while discussing other audit observations expressed dissatisfaction over poor financial management of the ministry and directed it to improve the performance. The PAC expressed concerned on the arrival of United Nation (UN) Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in Pakistan and linked it with an international conspiracy to give bad name to Pakistan by highlighting human rights violations in the country, particularly in Balochistan.
Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the committee that UN observers' team is visiting the country with the consent of the government, however all the stakeholders were informed about the visit of the team. He said that the government has attached two Pakistan officials with the team for assistance. The team would share its finding with the government after compilation of its report.
About the issuance of normal Pakistani passports to Burmese Muslims after deletion of EB-stamp-loss of Rs 1.283 million, the committee directed Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resolve the issue in collaboration with Interior Ministry and submit the findings to the committee within 20 days.
The PAC also directed all government departments to clear all outstanding liabilities against every official, who is going abroad or returning home from posting to another country. Chairman PAC also directed Ministry of Foreign Affairs to circulate the directive to all concerned ministries.