The Punjab Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee-II (PAC-II) has identified major financial irregularities and revenue leakages within the Board of Revenue, highlighting weaknesses in tax collection and land management systems across Punjab.
The findings emerged during a committee meeting chaired by Syed Ali Haider Gilani at the Punjab Assembly, where officials from the assembly, audit, finance and revenue departments reviewed audit reports related to the Board of Revenue.
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According to audit observations presented before the committee, authorities failed to recover fines from individuals involved in property transactions conducted through non-banking channels instead of documented financial systems.
Auditors also highlighted the non-collection of withholding tax on the buying and selling of immovable properties, which reportedly caused significant losses to the national exchequer.
The committee was informed that inadequate enforcement and gaps in monitoring allowed substantial tax revenue linked to land transfers to remain unrecovered.
In addition to urban property concerns, the audit pointed to irregularities in rural land administration. These included the alleged under-valuation of rural properties, resulting in lower mutation fees, as well as verification of land mutations without the required fee payments.
The committee also flagged the reported illegal allotment of 689 residential plots under the Temporary Cultivation Scheme, raising further concerns over governance and oversight in land distribution.
Chairman Syed Ali Haider Gilani directed the revenue department to accelerate recovery efforts and prioritise the collection of pending dues identified during the audit review.
He instructed officials to implement corrective measures aimed at addressing loopholes in revenue collection and strengthening accountability mechanisms.
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The committee concluded by issuing directives to relevant departments, asking them to ensure strict compliance with audit recommendations and take immediate administrative action where necessary.
The revelations have renewed concerns over transparency and financial discipline in public institutions, particularly in areas linked to taxation and land administration.
Officials are expected to submit progress updates on recovery measures and implementation of reforms during future PAC-II review meetings.