Auditor General of Pakistan has been carrying out the audit of all the secret service funds maintained by the Prime Minister and various other ministries after promulgation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment. The revelation was made at the meeting of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday. Chairing the meeting of the committee, Syed Khurshid Shah inquired from the Auditor General of Pakistan''s (AGP) office about the maintainability of secret service funds by the government departments.
The officials of AGP categorically said no secret service funds exist in any shape in the government after the AGP got excess to all such funds. All secret funds were abolished following the 18th Constitutional Amendments approved during the tenure of Pakistan People''s Party. The constitutional amendment had given the AGP office access to all kinds of secret funds.
The officials of AGP further explained that the ministries had to submit an exemption certificate to AGP for keeping the secret funds but the practice was abolished after the 18th Constitutional Amendment. Member Committee Syed Naveed Qamar remarked that the government departments stopped maintaining the secret funds when AGP had given access to these accounts.
Member Committee Pakistan Taheek-e-Insaaf inquired from the officials of AGP regarding the number of secret funds being maintained by the present government, however, the chairman committee over-ruled his question. Supreme Court of Pakistan in its judgement dated July 08, 2013 declared and directed that sub-rule (5) of rule 37 of the general financial rules, whereby the actual accounts for secret service expenditure are taken beyond the jurisdiction of the Auditor General, is illegal, unconstitutional, and of no legal effect.
The court further directed that the AG, in order for him to fulfil his duties under Article 169 and 170 of the Constitution, is not only authorised but also obliged to seek access to any and all records actually maintained by all federal and provincial government, as well as all entities established by or under the control of the federal and provincial governments, regardless of the designation of such records as secret or otherwise.