The Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly sent back all audit reports for 2024-25. These reports covered the 2023-24 financial year. The Speaker returned the reports to the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP). This happened due to serious procedural problems and a significant issue involving financial irregularities amounting to Rs 375,000.
A spokesperson for the National Assembly explained the reasons. First, the reports were sent straight to the National Assembly Secretariat, without going through the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Second, the reports were made public before they were shown to parliament. The spokesperson called this “disrespectful to the National Assembly.” The Auditor General wanted the reports to be tabled despite these problems.
The reported Rs375,000 billion is 27 times bigger than Pakistan’s Rs14.5 trillion federal budget and over three times its Rs110 trillion GDP. This high figure raised doubts about the accuracy. Former AGP Javed Jehangir called the number “unusual” and asked for a careful review. He said, “Such a large amount needs thorough checking.” He also mentioned that in his time, reports were never released before parliamentary review.
Audit Exposes Rs244 Billion Overbilling Fraud by 8 Discos in Pakistan
The government believes that someone within the AGP office leaked the reports to harm the government’s image. But the AGP says it followed the right steps. It sent copies to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the National Assembly, and the Senate. The AGP said this year’s reports showed the irregularity amounts more clearly for better understanding, unlike before.
The main argument is about why the AGP put the reports online before looking for parliament’s approval. The AGP did not clearly explain this, which made the issue bigger.
The rejection of these audit reports shows concerns about how financial oversight works in Pakistan. The huge amount of irregularities has sparked public debate. Solving these problems is important to keep public trust.
