PAC seeks record of allotment of govt properties during PTI tenure

National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has asked for a details record of the officials’ residences and other properties that was allotted for lease and rent during the tenure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

On Tuesday, the PAC met with Noor Alam Khan in the chair. The issue of government leasing official houses, shops, flats, and petrol pumps came up for discussion.

The meeting was told that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government did not collect Rs87 million in rent and lease from the allottees from 2018 to 2019.

The committee was told that most of the tenants have been given ownership documents of official properties.

The PAC chief asked under which law did the government hand them ownership of public properties.

Officials said that most of the illegal allotment happened during the tenure of PTI’s Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Safwan Ullah.

The PAC also asked for the record of the properties and suggested that the cases should be sent to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further investigation.

The PAC also directed to write to the chief minister of Sindh, the Sindh chief secretary, and Sindh Rangers.

Development funds

The PAC further was briefed that during the tenure of PTI, Rs14 billion was released in a single day to the newly merged tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The PAC sought records for the development funds released to KP.

While reviewing the records, the PAC chief noted that officials had claimed that they laid down around 27 kilometers pipe line in a single day and wondered if government officials were also involved in what appears to be a corruption scandal.

Toshakhana

Alam also sought details of the official gifts received by government officials apart from lawmakers, including those serving in the military, during official trips or meetings.

In this regard, he sought a record of the Toshakhana for the past decade.

He also sought audit of the PTI flagship project, Naya Pakistan Housing scheme.