PAC reviews audit objects of FO

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday apprised the Special Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that Foreign Secretary is custodian of a secret fund which he distributes among the heads of missions in various countries.

The meeting of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was presided over by Zahid Hamid which reviewed the Audit objections raised by the Foreign Office.

The audit officials told the PAC that the secret funds of the Foreign Office are not audited.

PAC directed all the ministries and department not to extend loans or advances to any employee without a collateral.

APP Adds: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday apprised the Special Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the government did not curtail staff from any foreign mission for the last several years.

A senior Foreign Office official in reply to a query by the Chairman of Special Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that the government had formed a committee in 2001 about the matter but it did not reduce its mission anywhere.



He also denied curtailing of mission staff in Washington.

He said that Foreign Secretary distributes funds to the heads of mission according to rules.

Earlier, the committee meeting chaired by Zahid Hamid discussed in detail the audit reports of Ministry of Foreign Affairs for year 1998-1999, 2002-2003 and 2003-2004. The committee members raised some objections to audit paras and directed the authorities to submit reports on audit paras within one month.

The committee was informed that during financial year 1995-96, a sum of Rs 9,502,732 was granted as house building advance and conveyance advance to various officials of the ministry but mortgage deeds were not obtained from the individuals, therefore the government money was left unsecured.

The ministry stated that all officials had been directed to produce mortgage deeds. The committee directed all ministries that payment will not be made until rules related to mortgage deeds are followed.

The committee was further informed that in 10 observations an amount of Rs 442,793 was held recoverable from 80 officers of the ministry who were staying in the government accommodations and were also drawing house rent allowance with their pay against the provision of FR.45.

The committee directed the ministry to recover the amount from the officials and submit report within one month. The officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured to fully implement the directions of the committee.