Safdar received over Rs 9bn, PAC informed

ISLAMABAD (Online): Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has asked federal secretary Cabinet Division to provide the details of Rs 9 billion allegedly given to Capt (R) Safdar on the name of development schemes during Nawaz Sharif’s regime.

Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had directed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to release Rs 9 billion to his son in law Captain Safdar who is also member of parliament from the constituency of Mehsehra and was considedrd one of the most powerful men during his father in law’s government.

Public Accounts committee was informed by auditor general of Pakistan that finance ministry then steward by Senator Ishaq Dar has given the amount to cabinet division without observing finacial procedure and sought the probe in this whoppy amount taken from the public kitty.

The week ago PAC directed federal secretary cabinet divison Sohail Ammar to provide the nitty gritty details of this public monay but after passin huge time the officer concenred has not oblige the parliamentary committee, this enraged its members.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has sought explanation from finance ministry for not submitting the detais of Rs 9 billion allegedly given to Captain retd Mohammad Safdar the son-in-law of Nawaz Sharif.

PAC secretariat had issued an order to finance secretary and secretary cabinet and told them, that according to audit report of fiscal years 2015 then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued order of releasing Rs. 9 billion to Captain retd Mohammad Safdar without taking parliament into confidence and it also hadn’t mentioned in budget documents.

Secretary Cabinet Division Sohail Aamar had admitted in PAC meeting held three weeks ago that Rs. 9 billion was issued to Mohammad Safdar, however Nawaz Sharif had established a three member committee for utilization of this heavy amount. Federal Minister Sheikh Aftab, Senator Saud Majeed hailing from Bahalpure were included in this committee. These funds had been issued for the developmental projects to this committee.

Then Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar had issued these funds on the direction of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Meeting members have expressed strong reservations and lodged protest on the release of Rs. 9 billion to Captain retd Mohammad Safdar.

PAC had directed Secretary Cabinet to seek details of these funds that for which developmental projects these funds issued. However, secretary cabinet hadn’t provided details of these funds despite clear cut orders. On this PAC secretariat had issued an order to finance secretary and secretary and sought explanation.

On the other hand Cabinet division sources told that issued funds had spent on the constituency of Captain retd Mohammad Safda and tender of these funds hadn’t sought.

Sources said that these funds had given to few contractors and secretary cabinet was facing hurdles of getting complete record of these contractors.

Government has also established backdoor links with the officers from AGP to make legal of releasing of this amount.

The opposition members of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were urging Syed Khursheed Shah to file a corruption reference to NAB against the secretary who issued the fund.

The source confided that this amount was transfered to selected contractors on the names of the development and the physicla audit of these project should be conducted to reach at the bottom of this scam.

The opposition members are alleging that this money was used in campaign against state insititution and seeking the details of this expenditure but the officers concerned are reluctant to share the information with the parliamentarians.

While talking to “Online” Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that he requested several time to PAC for getting record of Rs. 9 billion fund release but secretary cabinet hadn’t provide detail of this.

He vowed to pursue the issue till the recovery of plunder money from the corrupt mafia active in the governmetn on the name of development schemes.

He alleged that senior officers of cabinet division are concealing the facts of this amount but theri efforts could not succeed as we will raise this issue on each public forum to highlight the corrupt bent of Sharif family whose corruption cases are already being pursued by NAB courts in the different cities of the country.