This refers to your editorial of 7-10-2010. The additional secretary, Ministry of Interior has concurred with the view of paramilitary organizations that their accounts cannot be audited by AGP. It now becomes the duty of Interior Secretary/Interior Minister to take steps for the conduct of these audits. Failure to do so would violate article 170(2) of the constitution, which is reproduced below.
The audit of the accounts of the Federal and of the Provincial Governments and the accounts of any authority or body established by or under the control of the Federal or a Provincial Government shall be conducted by the Auditor-General who shall determine the extent and nature of such audit.
One may also mention that transparency and accountability are the watchwords while dealing with public money. Without these safe-guards, chances of misuse of public funds will always be there. External audit is a lynch-pin of these safeguards.
JAVED ASGHER,
Lahore.
