The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has flagged massive financial irregularities in Punjab for the financial year 2023–24. The recently published report points to mismanagement worth over Rs 1.08 trillion, marking it among the highest ever audit findings at provincial level.
One of the most striking discoveries was the presence of nearly Rs 988 billion in unauthorized bank accounts. These accounts were maintained by various public sector bodies, authorities, and departments — outside the official treasury framework. That’s a major red flag for how public money is being stored and moved.
The report doesn’t stop there. It also lists:
- Rs 25.4 billion in payments made without authorization
- Rs 3.1 billion linked to fraud across 14 different cases
- Rs 43 billion in procurement done without meeting legal rules
- Rs 10.6 billion in general mismanagement
- Plus billions lost to payroll and HR loopholes
Also mentioned are gaps in budget planning and fund use. Some departments spent money at the last minute — just to clear budget. Others didn’t spend at all. Revenue collected by some offices wasn’t even deposited in the right accounts.
Out of the Rs 25.4 billion marked for recovery, only Rs 2.2 billion was actually recovered by the time of the audit. That’s a very small fraction. Internal controls, it seems, were not strong enough.
The audit covered departments like Health, Education, Local Government, Agriculture, and several government-owned firms. Some had overlapping mandates, creating confusion in spending and reporting.
Procurement without tenders was also flagged. That’s a violation of the Punjab Procurement Rules 2014. In some cases, salaries and pensions were paid using funds meant for other uses.
The AGP recommends immediate action: fund recovery, departmental probes, stricter control systems, and stopping the trend of keeping money outside treasury.
