ISLAMABAD: The monitoring and implementation committee of the Public
Accounts Committee of National Assembly has summoned former federal
secretary food and agriculture Tariq Zafar Altaf for his alleged
involvement in financial irregularities worth million of rupees.
Declaring
ministry of science and technology as useless, the committee has
demanded of the Government to end this ministry. The committee met
under the chairpersonship of Yasmeen Rehman here at Parliament house to
review financial irregularities in ministry of science and technology,
Pakistan agriculture and research council and Pakistan council of
scientific and industrial research. The committee was informed that
there were 8 audit reservations against former Secretary Food and
agriculture for his involvement in financial irregularities in million
of rupees but despite lapse of 16 years he could not clear any
reservation against him.
The committee took strict notice of
this and summoned former secretary food and agriculture Tariq Zafar
Altaf in next meeting. The authorities of national accountability
bureau informed the committee that former chairman Pakistan agriculture
and research council C.M Anwar was facing corruption charges but he has
died. The committee directed Nab not to discharge case against deceased
chairman Pakistan agriculture and research council and take action
against those who were also involvement in corruption with him within
30 days. The committee while expressing annoyance over the Performance
of ministry of science and technology claimed that this ministry and
Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research have become
useless.
The committee advised the Government either to take
steps to improve the performance of ministry or close it. The committee
was informed that PCSIR used to spend budget worth Rs. 900 million
under the head of wages and pension of employees and it lacks money for
research. The committee directed the audit authorities to dispose off
audit reservations against ministry of science and technology within in
one month. Online
