ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts C
ommittee has taken notice of non-adjustment of $101,414 and 3,000 euros as tips during the trips of presidents and prime ministers.
A meeting of the Sub-c
ommittee Ill of the Public Accounts C
ommittee was held under Ashiq Gopang on Tuesday.
Foreig
n Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry told the body about the trips of presidents and prime ministers to Egypt, Poland, Bosnia, Russia, Switzerland and Uzbekistan between 2004 and 2009. He said during the trips tips were given to waiters, drivers, security guards and other staff of the hotels.
C
ommittee Member Arif Alvi said the amount is quite big to be paid as tips.
Chaudhry said during his tenure as foreign se
cretary he followed the Public Procurement Rules. Gopang said that those who violated the rules should be punished.
On informal expenditur
es in Kiev, Nairobi, Muscat, Tunis, Geneva, Amman, Warsaw and Moscow, the se
cretary said that they needed amount for getting services of cleaners and gardeners in missions abroad but the Finance Ministry objected to it. The c
ommittee recommended to create these posts in the future in the missions. The c
ommittee also recommended v
erification of amounts of advanced security deposits for accommodations in Frankfurt and Singapore. The c
ommittee ordered the departments concerned to revisit un-authorised expenditures incurred on cars. The body also sought v
erification of the sale of embassy residence in Manila and international school in Jakarta. The auditor general of Pakistan said they were sold without any proper bids.
Chaudhry said that case has been sent to the GHQ to recover $30,500 from former ambassador Lt Gen Iftikhar Hussain.
