Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A mega corruption scandal of Rs 500 million has come to surface in Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This was revealed by the documented evidence, which was produced before a parliamentary committee. As per the documents, the vehicles, furniture and machinery was procured for Rs 120 million for the Pakistani Missions abroad without getting prior approval of Foreign Affairs secretary. The report also exposed the involvement of high officials in the alleged embezzlement of Rs 75 million on account of renovation of Pakistani embassies in Tokyo, Washington and High Commission in New Dehli. It also said that different ambassadors got Rs 37 million on account of recruitment of temporary staff in the embassies. The ambassadors also allegedly pocketed Rs 5.5 million from the sumptuous allowance but not a single authority asks them about the misappropriation of funds. Several ambassadors also paid Rs 90.2 million to non-Pakistanis in the name of security from the national exchequer but no one even dared to take money back from them.

The documents revealed that various ambassadors had received the said allowance while they were on leave, thus causing heavy loss to the national kitty.

They also allegedly misused Rs 6.1 million from the welfare and education funds on their own lavishness, whereas they also allegedly embezzled Rs 1.4 million in the name of utility charges. The report said that the ambassadors posted at Hague, Washington, Colombo, Abu Dhabi and London fell sick from time to time and Rs 10 million were incurred on their treatment from the national exchequer. However, the matter is being investigated. The report said that the four ambassadors acquired Rs 7.1 million to purchase air tickets but the boarding passes were not available in the record. The Pakistan Foreign Officer’s Wife Association (PFOWA) also got air tickets of worth Rs 7.1 million from national fund for their private trip to China, but no record of tour was presented in the office.