ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: The capital police on Monday told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that their services, including the issuance of computerised driving licence, would have to be stopped if they were not allowed to use the money they collect in government fees.

Syed Kaleem Imam, who attended the PAC meeting on his last day as Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, agreed that the police were not authorised to collect and use government receipts but added that most of the “police functions” would be wrapped up if they were deprived of this money.

The PAC meeting, chaired by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, grilled him for using Rs32.53 million police collected in government receipts under different heads, on the police department.

The committee`s chairman observed that Islamabad police were unauthorised to collect any fee because rules did not permit it.

“With the help of government receipts we are providing the country`s best digital driving license, which is recognised internationally. If we do not use driving license fee, we would have to stop issuing computerised driving licenses,” he said.

The IGP said this money was used to pay Rs500,000 each to the families of policemen who lost lives in the line of duty. He said the money from receipts has been spent on education and health schemes for the policemen.

Mr Imam said police in all districts and provinces have been collecting such fees and spending them to meet their needs. “We are the only one who accepted it was illegal and sent a draft of new rules to the finance ministry to make it legal,” he said.

The meeting was told that the police in 2007-08 collected Rs19.23 million in digital driving licence fee, in addition to driving test fee Rs0.239 million, urgent licence fee Rs4.92 million, photocopy fee Rs0.356 million, fork lifter fee Rs0.69 million, parking fee Rs0.26 million, forensic laboratory fee Rs1.89 million, police driving school fee Rs0.99 million, summer school fee Rs0.41 million, swimming pool fee Rs0.25 million and vehicle checking fee Rs3.25 million.

The committee was told that the capital police were not only illegally charging different fees, but spending them on various purposes instead of depositing them into national exchequer.

The matter has already been referred to a departmental accounts committee, which had recommended framing rules for the police department, empowering it to collect and use fees. Rules were drafted and sent to the finance ministry for approval. However, the Auditor General contended that the Ministry of Finance was not authorised to regularise such expenditure.

Mr Imam said Islamabad police were performing duties in “difficult situation”, adding that they lack offices, vehicles and security apparatus due to paucity of funds. “Islamabad Traffic Police office is running in a temporary shelter on a greenbelt while my office was established in a rented house. All those living in that street are facing difficulties due to security measures we have taken,” he said.

Chaudhry Nisar said despite all constraints and justifications provided by Mr Imam, the use of government receipts was illegal unless they are given a legal cover. He urged the finance ministry to immediately to come up with new financial laws and rules to resolve this issue.