An unusual distribution of honorariums in the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) Office has come under the spotlight after documents revealed that 58 officers and employees were approved to receive four honorariums each, creating an estimated burden of more than Rs12.7 million on the national exchequer.
The approvals, which reportedly deviate from established practice, include senior officials ranging from Grades 18 to 22, with several officers set to receive hundreds of thousands of rupees in additional payments.
According to official documents, 58 officers and employees of the Auditor General’s Office have been granted four honorariums each. The total cost of these payments is estimated at more than Rs12.7 million, with the funds to be paid from the public treasury.
The development has sparked attention because of the scale of the payouts and the number of senior officials included in the list.
Committee head also among beneficiaries
Documents further reveal that the head of the committee responsible for determining the honorariums is also among those receiving the payments.
The inclusion of the committee chairman in the list of beneficiaries has drawn particular attention as questions emerge regarding the approval process and distribution criteria.
Among the officers approved for honorariums is Director General Muhammad Afzal, who is set to receive more than Rs371,000. Additional Auditor General Dr. Ikram Anjum Khan is among the highest recipients, with documents showing an approved honorarium exceeding Rs563,000.
The list also includes one Grade 22 officer, three Grade 21 officers and five Grade 20 officers, all of whom have been approved to receive four honorariums each.
Deputy auditors general to receive substantial payouts
Deputy Auditor General Murtaza Khan is also included among the beneficiaries and is expected to receive more than Rs500,000 in honorarium payments.
Four other deputy auditors general have similarly been approved for significant payouts ranging from approximately Rs384,000 to nearly Rs550,000.
The officials named in the documents include Ahmar Elahi, Fiza Pervez Afzal, Tafakhir Ali Asadi and Arif Hussain.
More officers included
The honorarium list extends beyond the top ranks of the department.
According to the documents, Muhammad Raza Shah and Hashim Raza have also been approved for four honorariums worth hundreds of thousands of rupees.
In addition, six Grade 19 directors and 15 Grade 18 officers are among those selected to receive the extra payments.
The revelations have fueled debate over the use of public funds and the criteria used to approve the honorariums. Critics have described the payments as unusually generous, particularly at a time when concerns over government expenditures and fiscal discipline remain under discussion.
The documents suggest that officers across multiple grades benefited from the approvals, making the honorarium distribution one of the most notable recent spending decisions within the Auditor General’s Office.
AGP Office clarifies
The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) Office spokesperson said the honorariums awarded to officers and staff were approved by the Finance Division. He added that a representative of the Finance Division was also included in the committee formed to determine and approve the honorariums.
According to the spokesperson, the decision to grant the honorariums was made after detailed deliberations by the honorarium committee. He maintained that the awards were approved through the prescribed process and with the relevant authorization.
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