July 26, 2007	Thursday	Rajab 10, 1428

PESHAWAR, July 25: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the NWFP Assembly has taken notice of the government departments opening accounts in private banks instead of National Bank and ordered to adhere with the specified rules.

According to a press release issued here on Wednesday, the PAC meeting, held at the Assembly Secretariat, was presided over by NWFP Assembly Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan.

Director General Audit Shoukat Mohammad took a standpoint that without an approval from the finance department no government department has the authority to deposit state money in the private bank.

“Some government officials from different departments are also getting interest on these accounts,” he said.

The NWFP Assembly speaker asked the finance department to instruct the officials of government departments that without approval they should avoid depositing money in private banks in future and should adhere to the prescribed rules.

The committee also took notice of poor performance of different government departments.

Opposition leader Shehzada Gustab Khan, Director Audit Dr Fawad Anwar Khan, Additional Finance Secretary Mohammad Bashir Khan,

NWFP Assembly Secretary Mohammad Mushtaq and other officials and politicians attended the meeting.—APP