Government account: KP PAC discusses Rs36bn financial irregularities

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Accounts Committee has discussed Rs36b financial irregularities from the government account.

According to details, the meeting of the KP PAC committee was chaired by provincial assembly Speaker and Committee Chairman Babar Saleem Swati, which focused on suspected financial irregularities involving Rs. 36 billion in transactions from a government account in District Kohistan.

Terming it the most serious financial scandal in the province’s history, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati expressed strong displeasure with the concerned departments — the Finance Department, Communication and Works (C&W), and the Office of the Accountant General. He directed them to submit a detailed inquiry report within three days. He further warned that if the internal inquiry proved unsatisfactory, an independent third-party audit would be commissioned and criminal proceedings would be initiated.

Accountant General of KP, Nasruddin, informed the committee that between 2016 and 2024, Rs. 181 billion were deposited into and Rs. 206 billion withdrawn from the said account, resulting in an unexplained shortfall of Rs. 24 billion. He explained that these accounts are nominally under the Finance Department but are practically overseen by district accounts officers under the AG’s Office.

Director NAB KP, Shafqat Mehmood, apprised the meeting that NAB has already initiated an inquiry into the matter, and all relevant documents, bank records, and official files have been requisitioned. He assured the committee that it would be kept informed as the investigation progresses.

MPAs Sajjadullah, Arbab Usman, and Ahmad Karim Kundi expressed serious concerns during the meeting, stating that the lack of transparency in the allocation and utilization of development funds undermines public trust.

Advisor to the Finance Department, Muzzammil Aslam, informed the committee that between 2019 and 2024, Rs. 594 billion was released for development projects, including Rs. 125 billion for road infrastructure. He clarified that the account in question was directly managed by the C&W Department, and the Finance Department had no direct oversight over it.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025