ISLAMABAD, Jan 3: The special sub-committee of the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday resented the loss of Rs850 million to the national exchequer by telephone misuse by officers of the foreign ministry and diplomatic staff in foreign countries.

It called for taking stern action against anyone involved in the irregularity.

The committee met here under chairman of Riaz Fatiana in parliament house and scrutinised financial irregularities during 1991-92 and 1995-96.

Riaz Fatiana said that government officers should not utilize funds beyond limits set for them no matter what post they hold.

The committee was informed by the auditor-general’s office that the money given to the chief of protocol of the foreign office for paying telephone bills was deposited by him in his personal bank account

The meeting was told that a payment of 108,000 pound sterling, allocated for the high commissioner’s office in London, was made to a lawyer and a property dealer but no approval was obtained from the ministry of foreign affairs or the ministry of finance.

The committee ordered an investigation and called for constituting a departmental committee, which should frame a comprehensive policy within three months to ensure monitoring of use of money released from the national exchequer.—Online