ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which oversees government spending, decided on Wednesday to write a letter to the Supreme Court to seek information about a fund set up by former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar during his tenure to collect money for the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams.

The fund was set up in July 2018 and the Supreme Court’s website had specifically solicited donations for building the two reservoirs.

PTI chief Imran Khan, the then prime minister, also threw his weight behind Mr Nisar’s call for donations, making it a joint venture to overcome the country’s water scarcity.

The fund hit Rs10 billion in collections by March 2019 while reportedly a sum of Rs13bn was spent on its advertisements.

Committee chairman told SBP restrained from providing details of bank accounts related to fund

The PAC summoned Mr Nisar earlier this year for an explanation on the fund, but he did not come to attend the committee’s meeting.

While scrutinising the audit reports of the water ministry, the committee directed the auditor general to audit the dam fund.

The auditor general, Mohammad Ajmal Gondal, told the PAC that Supreme Court’s registrar did not share the details of the funds’ collection.

The PAC asked the secretary committee to write a letter to the principal accounting officer of the apex court to provide details.

PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan said he had learnt that the State Bank of Pakistan had also been restrained from providing details of bank accounts related to the fund.

He said the people of Pakistan deposited Rs10 to 100 million in this fund and the PAC was obliged to keep a check on the public money.

The committee also ordered a forensic audit of the Diamer-Bhasha, Dasu, Mohmand and Neelum-Jhelum dams and the K-IV water project in Karachi.

It was informed that during 2016-17, some Rs22.88bn funds were released for Dasu Dam, including Rs4.58bn mobilisation advance.

However, the auditors told the committee that the work could not start even after five years.

Officials of the water ministry told the committee that the ministry released the funds because of a deadline set by the World Bank.

The committee also ordered the National Accountability Bureau to investigate the submission of a fake bank guarantee for the Nai Gaj Dam by its contractor.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2022