ISLAMABAD: At a meeting held on Tuesday the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) examined the Audit Report of the Commerce Division for the financial year 2019-20.

The committee took notice of the installation of additional phone connections in the Commerce Division during 2015-18 which were billed Rs756,000 and asked to recover the amount as the number of lines exceeded permissible limit.

Chairman of PAC said that it was brought to the notice of the committee that in the offices of the Commerce Minister and the Secretary additional telephone connections were given.

During the period, seven telephone connections were given to the minister’s office and five to the commerce secretary’s office.

Member Committee Barjees Tahir said that the committee should be informed about the purpose of additional telephone lines and where they were installed.

The Secretary Commerce said that green line could be installed anywhere. Out of the total there were three green lines, one each given to the PS, Director to Minister, and minister’s personal number.

Noor Alam Khan said the PAC chairman was entitled to one telephone and he had one diplomatic passport. He asked the secretary commerce to provide details of telephone connections installed during the tenures of previous ministers and secretaries.

He warned the Commerce Division to recover the amount paid in additional and untitled telephone bills provided in organisations and subsidiaries of the Commerce Division.

Noor Alam Khan further said that billions of rupees in irregularities and fraud were committed in the health card programme introduced during the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023