PAC sub-committee examines audit reports of various govt divisions
By Bushra Rafique

ISLAMABAD—A Sub-Committee of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly on Thursday examined the audit reports related to the Ministry of Environment,Economic Affairs Division and Prime Minister's Inspection Commission for the fiscal year 1995-96.
Riaz Fatiana,MNA, chaired the meeting, which was attended by Safdar Shakir as its member.Senior officials of the concerned ministries as well as Audit department officials also attended the meeting.
Chairman Prime Minister's Inspection Commission Maj Gen Muhammad Zubair told the committee that the commission held an inquiry into the collapse of Margalla Towers on October 8,2005 and presented its report.The PAC body observed that the government should take action against those persons involved in it.
While examining the Audit Reoprts of Ministry of Environment the committee observed that efforts should be made to increase area under forests in the country. Secretary Environment Ministry Muhammad Sharif Khan told the committee that the ministry is striving towards achieving the targets of sustainable development through conservation, protection, and restoration of Pakistan's environment.
He said that all the stakeholders, environment experts, intellectuals, and NGOs working on environmental issues have been involved in the formulation of the environment policies. The secretary told that the ministry was working on the framework for addressing the environmental issues faced by Pakistan, particularly provisions of clean water, air pollution, lack of proper waste management, deforestation, loss of bio-diversity, decertification, natural disaster, and climatic changes.
He said that the environment policy also aimed at meeting international obligations in line with national interest and aspirations. He said that government received 32 million dollars in 2004 from various donor agencies for various environmental projects, and this year, a sum of 30 million dollar is to be provided for implementation of various environmental projects by international donor agencies.