ISLAMABAD: The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has settled an audit para of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) regarding alleged revenue loss of millions of rupees due to non-charging for additional days used by the Defence Export Promotion Organisation (DEPO) for setting up and dismantling the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) at Expo Centre Karachi.
According to the draft minutes of the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC), jointly signed by Chief Executive TDAP Faiz Ahmad Chadhar and Director General Audit, Federal Government, Zahid Zaman Lak, 18 audit paras involving Rs3.678 billion were examined for audit year 2024-25.
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Of these, seven paras involving Rs3.481 billion, or 94.6 per cent of the total amount, were fully settled, while another seven paras were settled subject to verification of the official record. Four paras involving Rs73.961 million were referred to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
On the audit objection relating to IDEAS, TDAP management informed the DAC that IDEAS is a flagship defence exhibition of national importance organised by the Government of Pakistan.
The management explained that since the establishment of Karachi Expo Centre, it had been an established and consistent practice to allow DEPO additional days for setting up and dismantling the exhibition free of cost. Such concessions were granted with the approval of the competent authority in each case, copies of which were provided to the DAC for verification.
TDAP further informed the committee that, in order to strengthen financial discipline and ensure transparency, it had reviewed the longstanding practice.
For future events, the additional days required for setting up and dismantling exhibitions would no longer be provided free of cost. Instead, charges would be recovered on a no-profit-no-loss basis, based on the actual costs incurred by TDAP. Copies of the relevant approvals and the revised policy were also placed before the DAC.
The official document stated that, in view of the previous approvals granted by the competent authority and the revised measures already implemented by TDAP, which were in line with the audit observation, the para merited settlement.
The DAC accordingly recommended settlement of the audit para, observing that the facility had been extended in the strategic interest of Pakistan and that, in future, charges for additional days would be recovered on a no-profit-no-loss basis.
In some cases, however, TDAP officials challenged the audit team’s observations, maintaining that the audit observation did not reflect the actual factual position because the audit team had not fully examined the approved plans and supporting documents.
Meanwhile, at a recent meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce, presided over by Senator Anusha Rahman Khan, members appreciated the performance of TDAP and acknowledged the personal efforts of incumbent Chief Executive Faiz Ahmad Chadhar.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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