PAC recovered one trillion rupees in one year, Noor Alam tells NA

ISLAMABAD: Public Accounts Committee (PAC) successfully recovered around one trillion rupees over the past year, with a commitment to taking decisive action against individuals who have harmed the national exchequer.

According to the official news agency, these revelations were made by PAC Chairman MNA Noor Alam Khan during the budget debate on Tuesday in the National Assembly.

Noor Alam emphasised the committee’s efforts in recovering the substantial amount, clarifying that it was a collective accomplishment, not solely his own. He said that he did not witness any preferential treatment or bias among the members of the National Assembly during the recovery process and functioning of PAC.

He further declared that he draws a monthly salary of Rs168,000 as an MNA and an additional Rs20,000 as the PAC chairman. He said individuals engaged in corrupt practices should face the consequences of their actions.

During his speech, Noor Alam exposed instances of corruption amounting to billions of rupees in programmes such as the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami, the BRT project in Peshawar, the health sector, and the police department. He expressed concerns over the lack of a submitted report regarding corruption complaints surrounding the Mohmand Dam project.

Moreover, as the PAC chairman, he summoned the registrar of the apex court along with records of funding cases related to the Basha Dam, questioning the absence of audits for the account and the failure to utilize Rs17 billion collected for the project.

Noor Alam raised a significant question about the allocation of 190 million pounds to an individual, emphasising that this wealth belonged to Pakistan, and the national exchequer suffered as a result.

The PAC chairman firmly asserted that individuals who exploit Pakistan’s wealth, incite unrest, and deceive its people cannot consider themselves true Muslims. He said Pakistan was founded on Islamic principles.

He also recalled the disqualification of two prime ministers based on holding ‘aqama’ and failing to write a letter. He underscored the responsibility of the apex court to protect the constitution without making changes, as that authority lies with the parliament. He called upon the judiciary to fulfil its role and acknowledged the sacrifices made by politicians in the past for the restoration of deposed judges in 2007.

Noor Alam highlighted the imprisonment and death sentences imposed on political leaders in the past, while emphasising that certain individuals still hold unwarranted favouritism toward a particular person. He lamented the backlog of thousands of pending cases in the courts, which disproportionately affects the underprivileged.

In a separate matter, MNA Noor Alam expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of interest shown by treasury lawmakers during the ongoing budget session, highlighting the absence of the minister for finance, state minister for finance, and minister for planning development. He pointed out that the entourage of these cabinet members could be seen outside the parliament, stressing the need for the relevant ministers to be present in the house during the budget session.