ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: Examining various irregularities in the accounts of the ministry of foreign affairs, the members of a subcommittee of the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday questioned the hiring of lobbyists in the United States.

The subcommittee, headed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MNA Kunwar Khalid Yunus, was examining the “Briefs for the PAC on the Apportionment Accounts of Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the years 1990-91 and 1998-99”.

The meeting was attended by Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan, senior officials of the Auditor General office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Finance.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Rai Mansab Ali Khan, Maulana Ghafoor Haidri and Safdar Shakir are the members of the subcommittee.

The subcommittee members also took notice of the payment of rents of hired buildings in Warsaw and Khourtum despite the fact that these buildings remained vacant for a long period.

Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan and other officials of the ministry briefed the subcommittee members about the responsibilities of the lobbyists in the US. They said it was necessary to hire lobbyists, who had good connections in the US, to tone down bills and resolutions against any country.

The foreign secretary, however, admitted that there were some grey areas in hiring of a lobbyist, but made it clear that it was not within the jurisdiction of his ministry to appoint a lobbyist as it was the prerogative of the prime minister.

The committee also noted with concern some discrepancies in hiring of a lobbyist firm during the government of Benazir Bhutto in the year 1990-91. The former lobbyist firm was later reportedly fired without assigning any reason. The foreign secretary was asked to present a report on the issue in four weeks.

The auditor general pointed out that thousands of dollars had been wasted in payment of rent of vacant residences kept by officials of Pakistani missions abroad.

The foreign secretary observed that appointment of an ambassador was based on a political decision and at times it took several months to finalize the name. For this period, he said, the residence had to be retained. He said with the passage of time the rent increased so much that it became difficult to get back the residence at the same rent again. Moreover, he said, as Pakistan did not have any diplomatic compounds in Poland and Sudan, therefore, residences had to be hired for diplomats. The committee members also called for a strict check on the overpayment of travelling and daily allowance by the officials.

The foreign secretary said directives had been issued to the officials concerned that the extra money be paid back by March, otherwise it would be deducted from their salaries.