Islamabad: Pakistan should learn some lessons from India, where the Army chief appeared before Parliament`s Public Accounts Committee in connection with functioning of canteens, Leader of Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said.
"We should learn a lesson from the example of India where, on being summoned, the Army chief appeared before the Public Accounts Committee although the case was about a minor charge relating to rations," said Khan, a senior leader of the PML-N party.
Khan, who is also chairman of Pakistan`s Public Accounts Committee, made the remarks yesterday while chairing a meeting of the panel.
He was reacting to an audit of the Defence Ministry that related to the Defence Housing Authority.
Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retired) Athar Ali, who led the Defence Ministry team at the meeting, was criticised for not fixing responsibility in some cases of irregularities and failure to meet performance targets set by the PAC.
"Ask the government to find your replacement if you say that the organisations under the ministry are not in your control," Khan said.
Noting that 98 percent of armed forces personnel are disciplined, he asked why there was a lack of transparency at the highest level.
The dictators who used the Pakistan Army as their "private army or mafia" were responsible for bringing a bad name to the armed forces, he said.
There have always been distortions when the country had military rulers, he said.
Holding dictators like Pervez Musharraf accountable for their misdeeds will help in improving the image of the armed forces, Khan remarked.
"We have reached a stage where the PAC will take notice of wrongdoings," he said.
Auditors have said that funds generated from cutting trees and grass on agricultural land at the Mushaf air force base were not deposited in the government treasury.
The PAC also objected to the non-recovery of taxes worth Rs 109 million from the Defence Housing Authority in Karachi.
Indian Army chief Gen VK Singh had appeared before the PAC earlier this month to face questions about the poor quality of rations provided to soldiers and the reasons for keeping 3,600 unit-run canteens out of the purview of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
PTI
