PM office spent Rs40mn on drug, nameless guests

ISLAMABAD: Financial audits of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, spanning the fiscal years 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23, have revealed staggering financial irregularities totalling over Rs140 million. The audit report, highlighting expenditures on medicines, imaginary hospitality, and unauthorized bonuses, paints a concerning picture of mismanagement within the PM’s secretariat.

The audit, which has sent shockwaves through the government, details that more than a million of rupees were reportedly spent on the purchase of medicines and hospitality for guests within the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. However, the most alarming revelation comes in the form of unauthorized bonuses, totalling over Rs100 million, given to employees against the Prime Minister’s directives.

According to the report, each employee was granted bonuses five times, directly contravening the PM’s orders. Furthermore, officers within the Secretariat received an additional Rs4.5 million each as bonuses, further exacerbating the financial mismanagement.

In a critical lapse, the audit team was denied access to guest records for the year 2021-22 by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, raising suspicions of non-transparency and potential cover-ups. The report has recommended stringent actions, including the recovery of Rs80 million from Secretariat employees and a thorough investigation to assign responsibility for these financial discrepancies.

The Auditor General’s recommendation for financial accountability has sparked a call for immediate action, with demands for transparency and accountability within the Prime Minister’s Secretariat reaching a crescendo.