ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman, Noor Alam Khan on Friday reiterated that the committee’s orders to lift the ban on opening new petrol pumps in Sindh, Balochistan, and other provinces must be implemented without any further delay.

The committee, which met here with Noor Alam Khan in the chair, discussed the audit paras pertaining to the Petroleum Division for 2019-20.

In his remarks, he said that he had already given directives a day ago to lift the ban on opening new petrol pumps and that any delay in this regard would not be tolerated.

The Petroleum Division special secretary also informed the committee that its orders to remove the ban on domestic gas connections have been implemented.

The federal secretary petroleum could not attend the PAC meeting due to the ailment of his son. However, the committee disposed of 54 audit paras pertaining to the ministry.

Barjees Tahir, a member of the committee, said that billions of rupees have been spent on the natural gas pipeline network in some parts of the country, but none of the villages has been supplied with gas which needs to be audited to punish those behind it.

The PAC chairman said that he would request Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take notice of the issue as billions of rupees were wasted on such futile projects under the pretext of supplying gas to rural areas.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023