Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) backed Punjab Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Sajid Ahmed Bhatti showed severe displeasure over the absence of senior bureaucrats who were summoned to appear before the committee.
The PAC met on Tuesday in the Punjab Assembly under Bhatti’s chairmanship to discuss the audit paras of different provincial departments. The audit paras of Punjab Directorate General Protocol and Services & General Administration Department (S&GAD) were on the agenda but the meeting was told that the concerned officers were not there to respond.
The meeting was told that one officer was on leave while incumbent principal secretary to Chief Minister Amir Jan didn’t appear before the committee. “The concerned officers are bound to appear before the committee as per the clear instructions of the PAC,” said chairman of the committee.
Bhatti directed the CM’s secretary to appear before the committee within an hour but he didn’t pay respect to the most powerful committee of the august house. The audit paras against the secretary were there on the agenda during his appointment in different departments but the ‘powerful bureaucrat’ avoided his appearance in clear disrespect of the elected house of the people while inviting Bhatti’s ire who belongs to the government ally PML-Q.
The meeting was later adjourned for one day due to the absence of top bureaucrats.
It was not the first time that the PAC chairman had grilled the bureaucracy as he had already shown displeasure over the lethargic attitude of ‘babus’ on several occasions.
The chairman had earlier lambasted the bureaucrats of the agriculture department for misleading PAC as severe irregularities were seen by the committee in the audit paras. The committee then ordered a special inquiry by the Chief Minister Inspection Team (CMIT) over irregularities of millions of rupees in the agriculture department.
PAC’s proceedings were a continuity of the policy of Punjab Assembly Speaker Ch Parvez Elahi who had earlier made legislation to ‘tame’ the bureaucracy.
The Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Privileges (Amendment) Bill was passed last year due to Elahi’s active role in handling the bureaucracy. The government had some reservations over the legislation but it got passed due to the role of the ‘powerful’ speaker along with the support of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led opposition.
The legislation gave unlimited powers to the Punjab Assembly’s committee, empowering it to hold a court at the assembly’s premises against the bureaucrats if the privilege of an MPA was breached by the officers.
It had become really problematic for the government that PML-Q was holding meetings with the opposition parties while also showing displeasure over the performance of the government through the committees of the Punjab Assembly through its MPAs.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan was also expected to visit Lahore today where he would be holding separate meetings with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Governor Chaudhry Sarwar to discuss the ruling party coalition with the PML-Q in Punjab.
The PM would be briefed by both the CM and the governor over the situation of the alliance with PML-Q. The Punjab government could easily collapse if the PML-Q withdrew its support from Buzdar due to its thin majority in the Punjab Assembly.
