ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday formed a joint investigation team to probe the scandalous irregularities amounting Rs19 billion in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) during year 2020 with the direction to submit a report within next 15 days.
The meeting chaired by PAC chairman Noor Alam Khan directed the BISP and Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division to provide a proper record to the probing team comprising the Auditor General of Pakistan, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The Chairman apprised the committee that almost 1,43,000 were beneficiaries of the scam and said that the BISP being an institution was established to support poor women. Despite huge anomalies, the erstwhile management of BISP had not conducted any inquiry against the perpetrators of the crime.
He further directed, ”the BISP representatives should provide a complete record and information for audit inspection, says that Auditor General, FIA and NAB should register a First Information Report (FIR) against the incumbent BISP and Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division high-ups – if in case of failure in giving relevant details and data to the team.”
Senator Syed Musahid Hussain Syed, who raised the scandal regarding BISP irregularities before the PAC, said that such amount should be utilized for the welfare and empowering the widow and orphan women but it was unfortunate that illegal beneficiaries had taken benefits of it.
He said it was the foremost responsibility of PAC members to highlight the scandals and irregularities, adding BISP stalwarts had looted the national exchequer ruthlessly.
Senator Mohsin Aziz questioned that BISP had not used the funds to alleviate the sufferings of deserving families and instead filled the pockets of their blue-eyed.
MNA Nuzhat Pathan asked Secretaries of BISP and Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division to specify rules according to which they transferred cash to Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners for flood-affected people in Sindh.
The committee had taken notice of their non-serious attitude and shown disappointment, and resentment on the answers and urged the authorities concerned to carry out investigations against the irregularities and scandals in BISP and register FIR against the perpetrators.
The PAC meeting was attended by Sardar Riaz Mehmood Khan Mazari, MNA Nuzhat Pathan, MNA Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, MNA Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, MNA Syed Hussain Tariq, MNA Nawab Sher, MNA Naveed Dero, MNA Shahida Ali Akbar, MNA Dr Nisar Ahmed Cheema, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed and Senator Mohsin Aziz (via video link).
