The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has released audit reports covering 23 federal ministries and divisions, revealing alleged financial irregularities worth billions of rupees, including issues involving external loans, development schemes and government expenditures.
The reports highlight violations of financial rules, excess spending, weak internal controls and irregular fund transfers, while recommending comprehensive reforms to strengthen financial transparency and accountability.
According to the audit reports, external loans worth Rs1.9 trillion and development schemes worth Rs75 billion allocated to members of the assembly were among the areas reviewed.
The auditor general identified violations of rules in the utilisation of the Rs75 billion development schemes, along with major financial irregularities and expenditures made without parliamentary approval.
Ministries exceeded allocated budgets
The audit found that various federal ministries spent Rs187 billion more than their allocated budgets during the 2024-25 fiscal year.
The report also identified 78 cases of weak internal controls, raising concerns about financial oversight within government institutions.
In addition, the auditor general directed recoveries in 82 cases where financial irregularities were identified.
The report revealed that Rs87 billion in government funds lapsed because they were not utilized. It also identified the irregular transfer of Rs7.49 billion from the Federal Consolidated Fund to public accounts.
According to the audit, Rs24 billion held in dormant or dead accounts was not transferred back to government accounts as required.
Fake payments, embezzlement cases
The auditor general's report identified fraudulent payments and exposed serious shortcomings in financial discipline across various departments. It also disclosed two cases involving alleged petty embezzlement of government funds.
The report expressed concern over weaknesses in the internal audit system, stating that poor oversight had contributed to significant losses to the national exchequer.
Recommendations for stronger accountability
The auditor general recommended that all unused government funds be deposited back into the national treasury.
The report also called for improvements in financial management across government institutions and urged authorities to strengthen the accountability system to enhance transparency and prevent future irregularities.
The recommendations come despite the federal government's repeated claims that corruption and unnecessary expenditure have been eliminated, with the audit highlighting significant gaps between policy commitments and financial practices.
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