LAHORE – The Punjab Governor cannot be called before Public Accounts Committee. Financial affairs of Governor House do not come under the purview of PAC.
The PAC cannot question Governor’s salary, privileges and funds because President decides such matters of provincial constitutional head. Punjab Governor’s military secretary has refused to answer audit paras of PAC.
According to details, Service and General Administration Department had written a letter to Governor House on December 3 in which Governor Secretariat was sent working papers of audit paras 2004-05. After that, working papers regarding 2005-06 were sent but replies had not been furnished. In the letter, it had been requested that audit paras of departments and special institutes working under S & GAD were to be discussed before PAC No 2 and as Governor House and Secretariat work as departments of the S & GAD so objections raised on expenses of Governor House, Governors’ privileges and salary were to be discussed before PAC. Therefore, immediate replies should be furnished so that they could be presented before PAC. The Governor Military Secretary sent a reply to the S & GAD that Governor’s salary, privileges and funds do not come under the purview of PAC, therefore they cannot be discussed before it and no reply could be asked to be furnished on that.
He cited a reference from a letter 1-2/2003 approved from law ministry that Governor House and Secretariat did not come under the purview of PAC. The S & GAD had sent this letter to Law Ministry.