ISLAMABAD:  The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday was briefed that Ex-ministers Raees Munir had spent around 2 billion funds allocated for minorities on Hajj, Ummra and other personal purposes, sources said.

Therefore, the committee decided to post the reference to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII).

During a meeting of the committee, PAC also told that out of 1000 only 400 private schools has been registered in the federal capital.

The chairperson Yasmeen Rehman directed to shut down all unregistered school and institutes. She also took notice of free book distribution in some private school within last month.

It was also suggested to increase registration fees upto 1 lac.

The Committee, met here under the chairmanship of Nadeem Afzal Gondal, While reviewing the audit paras of the Ministry of National Harmony, the PAC was informed that ETPB transferred land worth Rs 900 million to the DHA in swap of land worth same value. However, DHA refused to transfer its land after obtaining possession of ETPB land. The PAC, which met here with Yasmeen Rehman in the chair, reviewed the audit paras of year 2004-05 and 2005-06 of Ministry of National Harmony.

The committee was further informed that in return of ETPB land DHA transferred few low cost plots to ETPB. The committee directed a comprehensive report from the concerned authorities. The committee expressed concern over taking large number of officials on deputation as members ETPB’s Board from Punjab. Out of the total 12 board members, nine were from Punjab excluding Hindu Member. Even Chairman ETPB Asif Hashmi was also a Muslim.

In its ruling, the PAC directed the Audit officials to carryout audit of the Board regarding its members, lands, and other affairs and file report to the committee. Meanwhile, PAC member Akram Masih Gill demanded appointment of a non-Muslim as the Chairman of ETPB.

The committee further learnt that former Federal Minister Rais Munir had wrongfully expended the ETPB funds in his constituency. It was further alleged that the Muslims were performing Hajj out of the funds allocated to minorities. Masih said that he had submitted a written complaint to the Prime Minister and tried to draw his attention to this issue.

‘Panel formed to relaunch cheaper hepatitis medication’

Dr Sheikh Riazuddin, the former director of the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), had developed the low-cost interferon injection and proposed to sell it for Rs70 per injection. The interferon injection that passed its test phase would cost significantly less than the imported version which is Rs900 per injection.

The Ministry of Science and Technology implicated the approver former Director General Health Rasheed Juma in ephedrine case, for putting ban on locally manufactured low-cost hepatitis medicine ‘interferon’. Chairing the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting on Tuesday, Yasmeen Rehman laid down a report of FIA on ‘interferon’.

The committee observed that various studies suggest that 35 to 40 people were dying daily in Pakistan due to hepatitis and many lives could be saved if cheaper drugs were made available.

The PAC alleges that the derailment of the research and development of the low-cost injection eventually led to the loss of lives and cost billions of rupees in losses. The National Accountability Bureau has been asked to respond with a report within six weeks.