ISLAMABAD, Feb 13: Ad-hoc Public Account Committee (PAC) meeting presided over by HU Beg asked the Principle Accounting Officer (PAO) to recover Rs217,725 from former interior minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, for misuse of a vehicle.

The meeting, held here on Wednesday in the Parliament House, observed the misuse of the government resources, irregularities and violation of rules in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The PAC was briefed that in violation of the Staff Car Rules 1980, three vehicles of Interior Division were attached with the office of the Minister for Interior during the period from April 10, 1994, to August 31, 1999.

In addition to above, a vehicle belonging to the FIA was also placed at the disposal of former interior minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain during 1997-99. The Ministry of Interior incurred an expenditure of Rs282000 during that period and the FIA paid the POL, repair and maintenance charges amounting to Rs217775, respectively.

The PAC Chairman ordered the recovery of excess residential telephone expenditure amounting to Rs2.82 million, incurred over and above the prescribed ceiling from Ex-Director Generals/Additional G. Asghar Malik, A. Rehman Malik, Sarosh Rauf Alvi and G. Moeenuddin.

Senior Deputy Auditor-General questioned the propriety of allocation of vehicles beyond entitlement and termed it a breach of financial rules. Mr Beg stressed the need for discarding this culture of irregularities and investigate the usage of vehicles attached with the office of the Minister for Interior during the period stated above, and report the facts to the PAC.

The PAC Chairman asked the PAO for the recovery of irregular and unauthorized payment of Rs123000 paid during the year 1999-2000 on account of utility charges of Deputy Commissioner House, Islamabad, from the incumbent officer.

He also directed the PAO to recover within 10 days, Rs1.399 million from the PTCL, paid as an advance for the jobs, which were not completed.

The Director-General of Audit informed the PAC that the internal control system of the Ministry of Interior was not functioning properly and it was perhaps the most neglected area where no corrective measures had ever been taken. Mr Beg issued a directive to the Ministry of Finance to evolve and develop a model of internal control systems within three months.

The model should focus on the general and specific requirements of each ministry. After it is finalized the same may be conveyed to various ministries of the Government of Pakistan for strict compliance.

The meeting was also attended by Lt-Gen(retired) Talat Masood, Ahadullah Akmal, Muzaffar Ahmed, M. Hasan Bhutto, Syed Shaukat Hussain Kazmi, S.M. Zafarullah, Dr Waseem Azhar and Irtiza Hussain besides Senior Deputy Auditor-General of Pakistan, Secretary Ministry of Interior, Chief Commissioner of ICT, Director-General of FIA and senior officers of the departments concerned.—APP