A total of 68 small dams in Sindh have been partially damaged due to the recent floods, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was told on Tuesday.
The representatives of the Sindh Irrigation Department informed the committee that one dam was entirely destroyed in the floods but it was an old dam built back in 1972.
The committee was informed by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Sajjad Ghani that the recent floods were the worst in PakistanÂ’s history, though, damage to water-related infrastructure is not severe and would be restored shortly.
In addition, officials from the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) Office briefed the public accounts committee that the Supreme Court registrar had refused to share details regarding the dam fund with the audit officials. In response, the committee chairman Noor Alam Khan said that the registrar was bound to provide the relevant record to the audit department.
He ordered to write a letter to the registrar explaining the functions, powers, and scope of the Public Accounts Committee.
During the session, the committee chairman expressed displeasure over the non-appearance of former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar before the committee, however, in a meeting of the committee in August, it was decided to summon the former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar to give details regarding the status of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam Fund.
The committee chairman further said that the former chief justice would be once again asked to appear before the committee to provide a briefing about the dam fund. He stated that the former chief justice enjoys no immunity and could be interrogated and summoned before the committee.
During the last meeting of the committee, member Barjees Tahir informed that Rs. 9 billion was collected under the dam fund, whereas Rs. 14 billion was consumed on its advertisement campaign alone.
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