ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Tuesday expressed annoyance over alleged irregularities in the Islamabad Club and directed the government to get a forensic audit of its 10-year record.

The decision was taken after the committee observed that the covering letters of audit reports submitted by the administration of the club to the committee were exactly the same.

Even the pen used for signing the covering letters during the last eight years seemed the same.

The committee directed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Khalid Khattak to ensure the attendance of the club’s administrator, Shahid Khan, who is also the secretary to the president of Pakistan, at the next meeting.

The committee at a meeting chaired by Senator Talha Mehmood was also shocked to know that despite charging Rs1.5 million from private individuals and Rs300,000 from government officers as the membership fee, the club had faced a loss of over Rs500 million from 2007 to 2015.

Looking at the audit reports submitted by the management of the club, the chairman of the committee said the covering letters of all the audit reports were the same.

“It seems all the coverings letters from 2007 to 2015 were printed from a same computer as there is no difference among them. Even commas, brackets and full stops are placed at same places. It seems the same pen has been used for signing all the letters during the last eight years,” Mr Mehmood said.

He said in 2006-07 the club showed a profit of Rs1 million but then for the following eight years it faced a loss of over Rs500 million.

Senator Nawabzada Saifullah Magsi suggested that a forensic audit should be carried out to check whether the audit reports were correct or not.

Acting Secretary Islamabad Club Mohammad Mubeen informed the meeting that the club was run by a 10-member administrative committee.

The secretary of the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) is the ex-officio member while the others are nominated on the recommendations of the Prime Minister Office.

“There are around 7,000 active members and 400 applications are in the waiting list. The application form is issued after getting approval from the administrator. The club spreads over 300 acres of land acquired from the CDA on a lease,” he said.

Admitting that a loss of over Rs500 million had been shown in the documents, he said it was due to the depreciation of equipment added in the audit reports every year.

Senator Najma Hameed said it was difficult to get a membership of the club as the administration demanded money (bribe) for it.

Senator Kalsoom Parveen said the club was established under a presidential ordinance which could not be passed by parliament. So practically the club cannot function as the duration of the ordinance was 90 days.

CADD Additional Secretary Jamal Yousuf said there was no role of his ministry or the secretary CADD who was the ex-officio member of the administrative committee of the club.

“I have also applied for the membership of the club and have been waiting along with other 400 people. This shows the role of CADD in the administration of the club,” he said.

No one from Gun Club

As no representative of the Gun Club attended the meeting of the committee, Mr Mehmood directed the IGP to also ensure the attendance of the administrator Gun Club at the next meeting.

“Gun Club Administrator Daniyal Aziz has not only beaten employees of the club but is also not paying them salaries for the last 10 months,” Mr Mehmood said.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2017