Latest news with #NisarKhuhro
Express Tribune
02-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
PAC orders audit of Rs2b monthly allocations to UCs
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly has ordered a comprehensive audit of the Rs2billion monthly budget allocated to union councils (UCs) across the province, citing concerns over financial irregularities and lack of oversight. In a formal letter to the auditor general of Pakistan, the PAC expressed concern that the substantial funds distributed to 1,600 UCs across Sindh are not being properly audited. The committee noted that while the Sindh government disburses Rs2billion monthly to these local bodies, there is no ongoing scrutiny of how the funds are being spent. According to the letter, only the UCs in Karachi Division were audited by the Directorate General (DG) Audit between 2018 and 2019. The financial activities of UCs in other districts of Sindh remain unaudited, raising serious accountability concerns. In response, the PAC has urged the AGP to instruct the relevant DG Audit offices to conduct a three-year audit of the budgets and expenditures of UCs throughout Sindh. Meanwhile, the PAC reported huge recoveries from various government departments in Sindh, totaling over Rs16.22billion to date. The latest recovery of Rs3.42 billion includes, Rs1.87billion deposited by DG Audit Local Government from recoveries made between September 2024 and April 2025. It also has Rs782.72million collected by DG Audit Sindh between July 2024 and April 2025 and Rs772.18million recovered by DG Audit Works during the same Rs12.59billion was recovered in outstanding water charges from various federal and provincial institutions on behalf of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board. These amounts have all been deposited into the government treasury. PAC Chairman Nisar Khuhro stated that the PAC held 97 meetings between July 2024 and May 2025. During this period, the committee reviewed 1,383 audit paras from various departments, settling 325 of them. The remaining 1,058 paras were deferred for further consideration. Khuhro stressed that the recovery and deposit of over Rs16billion into the government treasury reflect the PAC's unwavering commitment to financial accountability and transparency. He affirmed that the PAC will continue its efforts to recover public funds and ensure fiscal discipline across all government departments.
Express Tribune
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PPP ramps up protest against canals
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh chapter on Wednesday escalated its protest against the controversial six-canal project, announcing the second phase of its movement. In a video statement, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro declared that torch rallies would be held across all tehsil headquarters in Sindh from Wednesday evening. He asserted that resolving Sindh's water crisis required sustained pressure through continuous protests, as water scarcity threatened the province's future and survival. "The six-canal project is detrimental to Sindh, and its people will never accept it," Khuhro asserted, adding that the PPP would persist in its protests until the plan is scrapped. Similarly, the PPP staged a torch rally in Lyari on Wednesday to protest against the controversial six-canal project on the Indus River. Former PPP Karachi President Najmi Alam, MPA Yusuf Baloch and PPP South District President Javed Nagori addressed the rally, reiterating the party's firm opposition. The speakers rejected accusations that PPP was silent on the issue, stressing that the party had formally demanded a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to discuss Sindh's water rights. On the other hand, the Darya Bachao Tehreek (Save Indus Movement) also announced a series of protests against the alleged unlawful diversion of Sindh's water and the construction of six new canals. The movement has planned multiple demonstrations, beginning with a major rally in Gambat on April 3, followed by an awareness march from Sakrand to Hyderabad on April 5, culminating at Hyderabad's Hyder Chowk. Key political figures, including Sindh United Party President Syed Zain Shah, Dr Safdar Abbasi, Haleem Adil Sheikh, Ayaz Latif Palijo and Kashif Saeed Sheikh are expected to address the gatherings. A large protest will be staged outside Karachi Press Club on April 6, while a signature campaign will be launched in various cities of Nawabshah district on April 7 to mobilise public opposition. Protests against the construction of canals and corporate farming using waters from the IndusRriver continued on Eid day in Badin like other cities of Sindh. The atmosphere in the city resonated with slogans against the canals.
Express Tribune
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Officers occupy women's hostels
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly has ordered the immediate dispossession of the women's hostels occupied by government officials, including DIGs, DC, and education officers. The Women Development Department (WDD) has set up 11 hostels for working women in different districts of the province. However, the government officials have reportedly set up their offices in these hostels. The issue was raised during a PAC meeting on Wednesday, chaired by Nisar Khuhro and attended by PAC member Qasim Siraj Soomro, WDD Secretary Abdul Rasheed Zardari, and relevant departmental officials. The committee was reviewing audit objections related to the WDD's fiscal expenditures for the years 2019 and 2020, during which the matter of unauthorised office occupations in women's hostels came up for discussion. The WDD secretary informed the PAC that despite the hostels being intended for the accommodation of working women, various officials, including Sukkur's SC, have established their offices in these facilities. The DC's office has been set up in the Women Development Complex in Sukkur, while a DIG has occupied a women's hostel in Nawabshah. Similar encroachments have been reported in other districts. The PAC chairman, taking serious notice of these violations, ordered the immediate removal of all unauthorised offices and officials from the women's hostels across Sindh. He stressed the importance of restoring control of these facilities to the Women Development Department for their intended purpose. Further scrutiny by the PAC revealed concerns over the expenditure of Rs273 million on the Working Women Hostel in Shaheed Benazirabad, the Women Development Complex in Sukkur, and various other women's development projects. The committee also called for an investigation into the acquisition of land for the Women's Complex in Sukkur, questioning why private land was purchased instead of acquiring government land, which led to an additional cost of Rs210 million for its construction.
Express Tribune
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PAC sniffs misuse of prisons' funds
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly has unearthed financial irregularities to the tune of a whopping Rs2.45 billion in funds allocated for food, medicines, clothing, and furniture supplied to the province's prisons. The PAC directed the provincial home secretary to conduct an investigation and submit a report within a month. The PAC, which met with its Chairman Nisar Khuhro in the chair, examined audit reports from 2019 and 2020. Khuhro questioned the IG Prisons Qazi Nazir Ahmed about the contractors awarded tenders worth multibillions rupees for supplying essential items to jails. He specifically inquired about the quality of the three daily meals provided to inmates and the procedures in place for quality checks. IG Ahmed explained that prisoners are served three meals a day in all prisons, and the food quality is monitored by medical officers and judges. However, the PAC was not satisfied with the prison authorities' explanations regarding the procurement of items such as food, medicines, furniture, and clothes, for which formal tenders had been issued. As a result, the PAC directed prison authorities to involve officers from the Sindh Food Authority to inspect the quality of food in various prisons, including the Karachi Central Jail. The PAC also raised concerns over an unaccounted Rs8 million reportedly spent by Malir Jail. Jail authorities claimed the money was used for maintenance and fuel, but the PAC asked for detailed records within 10 days for verification. PAC member Khurram Karim Soomro also questioned the security measures at Malir Jail, raising concerns over the escape of a prisoner through a window despite the huge funds allocated for prison reforms. The jail authorities failed to provide a satisfactory response to the PAC regarding the incident. Subsequently, the PAC ordered an internal audit of all Sindh prisons to investigate these financial discrepancies and ensure accountability.
