The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday grilled former principal secretary to the prime minister Azam Khan on the accusation of keeping Tayyaba Gul in the Prime Minister’s House for a month, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

“Azam Khan Sahib! We have called you to the PAC meeting twice or thrice, [but] you have come today,” PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan said.

“I was in Mardan. I had changed my cell phone number,” Azam Khan informed Noor Alam Khan about the reason of him not appearing before the PAC.

“You are an accused in Tayyaba Gul video scandal. It is alleged that you kept the woman in the Prime Minister’s House for a month. The PAC will not close this issue,” Noor Alam Khan questioned.

“I strongly deny these allegations. I have never met this lady. I never went to media owner Tahir Khan’s office. It cannot happen that one stays in the Prime Minister’s House for a month and there is nothing in the record. I do not remember that lady ever came to the Prime Minister’s House,” Azam Khan refuted allegations against him.

“[But] If the prime minister or the principal secretary so desires, what the authority of any officer or agency official is to make an entry in the record,” Sheikh Rohail Asghar pointed out.

Meanwhile, the chairman of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) told the PAC meeting that an inquiry into the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project had been ordered.

“The inquiry report will come by September 15. We will take this matter to its logical end. Wherever the money is spent, investigation will be carried out 100 per cent on merit,” he vowed.

“The case against Moonis Elahi had also been dropped,” Rohail Asghar pointed out.

“I do not have details about Moonis Elhi at this time,” said the NAB chairman.

The PAC summoned the then NAB DG Operations Zahir Shah for closing the BRT project case without inquiry.

Reporter: Usman Khan