Daily Times

Sindh’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has overseen the recovery of a record-breaking Rs 620 million from corrupt officials and private entities, marking a significant step in financial accountability.

The recovered amount, deposited into the provincial treasury, resulted from PAC’s scrutiny of audit objections across various government departments.

These irregularities were identified during reviews of financial accounts from previous years.

“The misuse of public funds will not be tolerated,” said Nisar Khuhro, chairman of the PAC.

“We will act against every department where financial discrepancies are discovered.”

According to the Director General of Audit Sindh, the recovered amount was collected between July and November 2024.

This recovery vastly surpasses the mere Rs 500,000 retrieved during the PAC’s previous five-year tenure.

Khuhro attributed the success to intensified PAC sessions and strict directives for action on irregularities. He further emphasized, “All departments must spend taxpayers’ money for public welfare. Any department failing to provide audit records will face action. Officers of these departments will no longer be allowed to use the excuse that audit records are unavailable.”

The PAC chairman also instructed that all departments in Karachi provide their audit records one week before PAC meetings.

Earlier this year, investigation report exposed the discrepancy in records of spoiled wheat, exposing a staggering loss of Rs3.22 billion to the national exchequer.

The inquiry has disclosed that unscrupulous employees of the Sindh Food Department orchestrated the theft of 379,062 sacks of wheat from various warehouses in the province over the past years, valued at a whopping Rs3 billion. Using the pretext of the 2022 rains, these officials allegedly resorted to deceitful tactics, including the falsification of records to cover up their illicit activities.

According to the report, officials directly involved in the theft and smuggling of wheat attempted to camouflage the stolen stocks by adulterating damaged wheat with soil and stones. The connivance of district officers further exacerbated the situation, as they failed to account for the missing sacks that had been surreptitiously sold in the market. The report implicates officials in the brazen theft of 379,000 sacks of wheat, with significant shortages reported in various regions, including Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, and Shaheed Benazirabad. Moreover, it has been revealed that 200,000 sacks of wheat went missing from warehouses in Karachi alone. The investigation highlighted the cunning ploy employed by Food Department officials to disguise the stolen wheat by mixing it with substandard grains and debris, effectively inflating the recorded quantities.

Surprisingly, Sindh Minister Jam Khan Shoro expressed unawareness of the scam, promising to provide a statement after obtaining relevant information.