Islamabad: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), led by Chairman Junaid Akbar, convened at the Parliament House to address a significant backlog of 36,718 unresolved audit objections. During the session, the National Assembly Secretariat provided a detailed briefing, emphasizing the committee’s focus on major financial irregularities.
Junaid Akbar highlighted that the PAC was formed a year after the general elections and would initially tackle substantial financial discrepancies. It was disclosed that the committee has the potential to recover 2.5 trillion rupees, with even a 10% recovery exceeding the annual budget. Members of the committee discussed strategies to expedite the resolution process. Amir Dogar stressed the importance of addressing older audit paras first, while Tariq Fazal Chaudhry expressed optimism about efficiently clearing the backlog. Shahida Akhtar urged that audits be conducted based on ministries rather than political affiliations, and Sanaullah Mastikhel pointed out the country’s worsening position in the corruption index, attributing it to an increase in financial misconduct.
Additionally, it was revealed that 20 audit-related cases remain pending in courts. To speed up the process, members proposed forming multiple sub-committees, each handling three to four ministries. Concerns were also raised regarding the enforcement of PAC recommendations, with members noting that even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had expressed reservations over the non-implementation of PAC directives.
Chairman Akbar questioned whether autonomous institutions undergo audits and raised concerns about the oversight of government-allocated plots for hospitals. The Auditor General of Pakistan assured the committee that such audits could be conducted if formally recommended.
The session concluded with a strong call for the effective implementation of PAC decisions to ensure financial accountability and transparency. Members also emphasized the need for sub-committee appointments based on individuals’ availability and commitment to the committee’s work.
