Pakistan's auditor general has uncovered widespread financial irregularities, procedural lapses and weak administrative oversight across several federal ministries, with the ministry of interior (home ministry in Pakistan) and narcotics control accounting for the highest number of audit objections, according to a report by Dawn.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
The audit recorded 65 observations against the ministry, more than any other federal institution reviewed, raising fresh concerns over governance standards and financial accountability within the department.
Among the major findings were several instances of unrecovered government dues. Auditors pointed to PKR 22 million in unpaid renewal fees and penalties related to no objection certificates issued for armoured vehicles, along with another PKR 27 million outstanding from private security companies.
The report also found that PKR 56 million collected through the issuance of more than 3,400 arms licences had not been deposited into the national exchequer. It further highlighted discrepancies in the conversion of paper-based arms licences into digital records, particularly in cases involving prohibited-bore weapons.
According to Dawn, auditors also criticised the Islamabad administration for revising driving licence fees without obtaining approval from the Finance Division.
The audit questioned why the Islamabad Capital Territory Consolidated Fund had not been established and raised objections over the appointment of the Islamabad Chief Commissioner without presidential approval. The Interior Ministry, however, maintained that the appointment had been made in accordance with established procedures.
Another significant finding involved a PKR 40 million child labour survey funded by UNICEF. Auditors said officials failed to produce financial records, bank statements or expenditure documents needed to verify how the money had been spent.
Authorities responded that the Punjab Bureau of Statistics had managed the project under UNICEF's financial guidelines. However, auditors said no documentary evidence was provided to substantiate that claim, Dawn reported.
The report also flagged the issuance of stamp papers worth PKR 290 million to vendors whose licences had already been cancelled. It further identified concerns relating to the computerisation of land records, recovery of mutation fees and road traffic challans, as well as recruitment practices in institutions including the Frontier Corps, Pakistan Rangers, the National Police Foundation and the Islamabad Capital Territory Police.
In another major observation, the Auditor General questioned the Anti-Narcotics Force's expenditure of PKR 1.2 billion on overhauling two helicopters, noting that the work had been awarded without an open competitive bidding process, according to Dawn.
