PAC members urge Nisar not to resign

ISLAMABAD: The members of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday demanded Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan not to resign as Chairman of the PAC and continue providing valuable services in the larger national interest.

This appeal was made at a PAC meeting here which was held after three months as its Chairman had some reservations due to the non-implementation of his directives.

Pakistan People's Party, MNA, Nadeem Afzal Chan initiated the process by saying that Chaudhry Niasr Ali Khan is a role model for Parliamentarians and he should not resign from his post as PAC had recovered more than Rs 113 billion under his Chairmanship.

Chaudhry Nisar has provided guidelines to the next generation and he should oversight the minor problems in the larger interest of the country, he added.

Muhammad Pervaiz Malik, a PML-N, MNA said that PAC Chairman conducted the proceedings of the Committee without any fear, discrimination and issued directives for recoveries and inquires across the board.

He has also set the precedent for Provincial PAC Chairmen that by following the neutral position, they can check corruption from provincial departments as well.

MQM, MNA, Waseem Akhter also shared same feelings after compliments form all members and said: " I heard performance of PAC through Parliamentarians and media so he would demand Chaudhry Nisar should continue as a Chairman of PAC."

Mian Riaz Pirzada, Minister for Professional and Technical Training, and MNAs including Asia Nasir, Noor Alam, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Zahid Hamid, Rukhsana Bangash, Saeed Ahmad Zaffar, Noor-ul-Haq Qadri and Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah also appealed Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to continue as PAC Chairman.

During the PAC meeting Nisar informed the members that an inquiry was being conducted against three generals involved in National Logistic Cell scam.

It is for the first time in the history of Pakistan that action was taken against certain Army Generals on the directives of PAC, Nisar informed them about the information conveyed to him by the Secretary Defence.

There was no precedent of taking action against generals in the past involved in such issues, he added.

He said the inquiry had been started against these generals in the light of PAC report. Nisar also appreciated the Chief of Army Staff General for initiating inquiry against generals on the directives of PAC.

The PAC Chairman said that Committee would not tolerate civilian as well as officials of Army departments if they were ever found guilty of looting public money and added that every department should be treated in the same manner as like other departments.

"People who are indulged in misappropriation of public money should be held accountable irrespective of their profession," he added.

It is the public money and PAC will take all steps to safeguard the public exchequer, he said.

Nisar condemned the extension in services of certain civilian officers involved in the scam. (APP)