WAPDA Buys 78 Luxury Cars Worth Rs. 740 Million

The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources on Thursday grilled the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) for buying 78 luxury vehicles worth Rs. 740 million, despite a federal austerity policy prohibiting such acquisitions. The committee under the chairmanship of Senator Shahadat Awan also expressed concern over the delay in inquiries into several financial irregularities, some dating back four decades. The committee chairman said 187 audit paras related to WAPDA remained unresolved while some cases didn’t have official records. He also raised concerns about a Rs. 29 billion discrepancy that hadn’t even been probed by the Ministry of Water Resources. The committee was briefed that of 56 inquiries recommended by the Public Accounts Committee, 43 had been completed, 10 were ongoing, and 3 were being probed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). 381 inquiries were initiated by the Departmental Accounts Committee of which 308 were completed and 67 were pending. The panel directed the ministry to expedite all pending inquiries within six months and provide details of cases before the courts, as well as individuals found responsible for breaking the law.