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ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) and the Institute of Management and Cost Accountants (ICMAP) for failing to provide details of foreign travel and expenses of their board members for the last five years.
ICAP is the regulatory body for chartered accountants in Pakistan while ICMAP is a professional body for cost and management accountants.
Petitioner Jamshed Mir had sought details of foreign travel of board members of both regulatory bodies.
The petitioner contended that in recent years, council members (including officers, former council members and other members) of ICAP and ICMAP have made frequent trips abroad, ostensibly for official duties, delegations and related assignments.
“These trips have been financed by funds from the institutes. However, the manner and frequency of these expenses have raised issues of misuse, leading to litigation between interested parties, and have been criticized by the media, which has published reports highlighting concerns about the transparency of such expenses,” the application submitted to both bodies said.
“In the interest of transparency, accountability and responsible use of public monies, you are requested to provide the following information for each foreign trip made during the last five (05) years by any council member (including officers), former council members, ICMAP members traveling on behalf of the Institute and any other ICMAP official.”
Subsequently, the petitioner approached Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) for the same purpose but could not get any information.
A single bench of the IHC, headed by Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas, is hearing the petition questioning the PIC’s inaction on the petitioner’s application.
