ISLAMABAD - Taking strict action against massive financial irregularities in Tawana Pakistan Programme (TPP), the Senate Special Standing Committee on Social Welfare has summoned former prime minister Shaukat Aziz on August 23 to clarify his position over the vital issue. The committee in its meeting here on Saturday discussed the audit report of the TPP and besides summoning Shaukat Aziz, the body also asked Zubaida Jalal and Dr Attiya Inayatullah to explain their stance over the issue. The committee was informed that the PC-I of TPP for supplying food and medicines to 530,000 students was incomplete and high-level corruption made it a complete failure and burden on the national exchequer. The committee also recommended putting the name of Irfanullah, the Director General of the Programme, in the Exit Control List (ECL). It was demanded by the committee to bring back the former prime minister Shaukat Aziz to the country so that he could clarify his position with regard to widespread irregularities detected in the accounts of the programme. It was informed that Rs 600 million were spent for the said programme whereas the record maintained by the programme administration showed spending of Rs 420 million only. The committee alleged and pointed out that Irfanullah was involved in all the embezzlement resulting in the failure of the programme. The committee was told that appointment of Irfanullah as the Director General of the Programme was also an illegal act. The meeting was chaired by Senator Anwar Beg in the Parliament House and Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, Shujaul Mulk and others also attended the meeting. It is pertinent to mention here that President Pervez Musharraf launched the TPP at a cost of Rs 7.63 billion in 2007 with an aim to address the problem of malnutrition among school children. The programme was meant to provide packed food, including milk and nutritious biscuits, regularly to around 530,000 girl students aged between 5 to 12 from 7,000 public primary schools in 50 districts of Pakistan. However, after noticing malfunctioning, the government decided to close it down.