Audit report questions over Rs 50 crore payment made by PPP to private advertising firm
ISLAMABAD:
On Tuesday, a subcommittee of Pakistan’s Public Accounts Committee raised serious questions over the undisclosed expenditure of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, highlighting Rs 101.4 million in secret funds.
The committee noted that Rs 70 million had been spent on a special advertising fund, Rs 26.6 million allocated to the Institute of Regional Studies and another Rs 4.8 million spent on secret service expenses. Audit officials said no payment vouchers or bank records had been provided.
The ministry did not provide records of expenditures, leading the audit report to flag “serious doubts” about the use of these funds. He also criticized the ministry for keeping secret funds out of the audit process, calling it “unconstitutional.”
Committee member Bilal Mandokhail expressed frustration: “There is no record of anything. How is this possible?”
The sub-committee decided to issue a notice to the retired information secretary and seek a formal response. Members also reminded officials of the constitutional directive that the Auditor General must have access to all government records.
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Officials emphasized that under the law, officials are legally required to provide complete records for the audit. The committee warned that action would be taken against officials who obstruct the audit process and stressed that secret funds can only be classified according to the law.
The audit report also raised questions about a payment of more than Rs 50 million made to a private advertising company for a campaign on behalf of Benazir Bhutto, benefiting the Pakistan People’s Party.
Commenting on the payment, Mandokhail asked, “Did the song even become a hit? Was it actually heard?”
The information secretary admitted that the ministry did not have details, prompting the committee to order officials to provide full information.
