Ambassador to US has cleared dues: FO

ISLAMABAD: A foreign office spokesperson has stated that its former federal secretary who now after retirement serves as ambassador to the US, Jalil Abbas Jilani, has cleared all his liabilities before drawing his retirement related benefits.

In statement issued in response to a news report published in Dawn on Monday, the spokesperson said: “Like all other civil servants, the ambassador has completed all the required formalities after retirement in obtaining requisite clearances and certificates before drawing his pension benefits. One such requirement indeed was the settlement of all outstanding audit paras, which was strictly complied in my case.”

It further said, “any suggestion or insinuation otherwise including the claim the ambassador received all his benefits without having cleared the audit objections is completely unfounded and scandalous and categorically denied”.

However, in response to the query raised by Dawn, AGP, Rana Asad Amin said on Wednesday that he had ordered an inquiry to determine if the reported audit para against Mr Jilani had been duly settled.

Also read: Ambassador drawing pension, benefits despite outstanding audit paras

In his formal response, AGP Rana said, “There is an established system in our department for settling audit paras. I have ordered an investigation whether the audit para reported in the news story was settled after meeting requirements or not. If the audit para was settled after due process, the matter will rest there. However, if the due process was not observed, the para will be revived and recovery will be stressed”.

According to the audit para in question, which Mr Jilani says has been cleared but as per AGP documents still exists, the ambassador received un-authorised Rs4.8 million for keeping the additional charge as ambassador to Belgium, while he was holding principal position as federal secretary of foreign affairs during 2012.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2015