Public Accounts Committee Chairman Iftikhar Chachar stated that an officer specifically summoned to examine audit objections must attend the meeting.
Senior government officials have frequently failed to appear before the Punjab Assembly's Public Accounts Committee, often sending junior officers to represent their departments instead. Additional Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, and Section Officers are currently the primary attendees representing various government departments.
Chachar noted that the situation has begun to improve since he started taking notice of this practice and questioning officials regarding their absence. The Punjab Assembly is currently reviewing audit objections for the 2023-24 financial year. Officials from multiple departments are being summoned to clarify discrepancies and explain the objections identified during the audit process.
Departments must now notify the committee in advance if a summoned officer is outside the city or country. Absent officials are required to submit evidence explaining their non-attendance and identify which representative will answer questions on their behalf. The committee may issue reprimands to officials who fail to appear as required.
