CDA invites PAC's ire over illegal auctions
A shocking revelation emerged in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting regarding the illegal auction of 23 plots worth Rs37 billion. Committee member Qasim Noon criticised the Capital Development Authority (CDA), calling it "the most corrupt institution" with corruption ongoing for years without any accountability.
The PAC also ordered a complete audit of the Gun and Country Club. During the meeting, CDA's Member Finance admitted that they had not prepared the financial statements, stating that the 2023-2024 financial statement was ready and would be submitted soon. Member Committee Syed Hussain Tariq expressed concerns, saying, "This is not the proper way." The CDA Chairman assured that future statements would be prepared on time, while the Interior Secretary promised to prevent such issues in the future.
Committee member Naveed Qamar raised concerns, emphasising that someone should be held accountable, and suggested that the audit should look into this matter. Audit officials informed that CDA's operations are complex. The Interior Secretary requested two months to resolve the issues, but the CDA Chairman stated that it would take six months to prepare the financial statements. The PAC Chairman agreed, instructing the CDA to submit all financial statements within six months.
Qasim Noon reiterated his criticism, describing CDA as the "most corrupt institution" with no one holding them accountable for years. The committee instructed that the issue of the non-transparent auction be referred to the DAC.
The PAC also reviewed an audit objection regarding the Gun and Country Club's failure to deposit an additional Rs480 million into the Sports Endowment Fund account. Committee member Hussain Tariq, commented that the institution had never conducted a proper audit. "They were never willing to conduct an audit. How much money did they make and spend over five years?" The PAC Chairman ordered a complete audit of the Gun and Country Club and instructed that a report be submitted within a month.
The PAC also discussed audit objections related to the G-B Scouts, particularly the irregular purchase of medical supplies worth over Rs53 million. The committee expressed frustration over the absence of the Director General (DG) and deferred the discussion until his presence. The DG of the Sindh Rangers also failed to attend, prompting the PAC to defer the audit of Sindh Rangers.
Regarding the absence of the IG FC in the PAC meeting, the PAC was informed that the IG was engaged in operations due to deteriorating security conditions in the province. This sparked an exchange of remarks among committee members. Rana Qasim pointed out, "The country is in a state of war," while Naveed Qamar humorously suggested, "If the country is at war, should we dissolve the PAC?"
Finally, the PAC instructed that all audit paras related to the FC be consolidated and directed recovery actions to be taken.
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