PAC Probes Rs 12 Million Fraud, Bureaucrats’ Portugal Properties, and FATA Sales Tax
Nadeem Tanoli
Islamabad: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Junaid Akbar, has taken serious notice of recent remarks by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif regarding Pakistani bureaucrats allegedly purchasing properties in Portugal. The committee has directed the Ministry of Interior, State Bank, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and other relevant authorities to provide a detailed briefing in the next session, including a list of officials who have acquired such properties.
The committee also raised concerns about the imposition of sales tax in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and decided to seek a comprehensive briefing on the issue. Additionally, members discussed the reported closure of utility stores and agreed to obtain further information on the matter.
Audit objections related to the Ministry of Religious Affairs also came under scrutiny, particularly a case involving the alleged embezzlement of Rs 12 million in remittances. PAC Chairman Junaid Akbar questioned the role of senior officials, including the Director General of Hajj, while Senator Afnanullah Khan and Senator Bilal Mandokhail expressed strong doubts that such a large-scale fraud could be committed by a single individual. Committee members accused the ministry of failing to act promptly, pointing out that no red notices had been issued, nor had properties been confiscated to date.
Officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs told the committee that the suspect, previously an assistant accountant, had been dismissed from service and was currently in Canada, having already obtained a Canadian visa before the fraud was exposed. The ministry claimed it had written to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to file a case, while the FIA confirmed that the suspect’s identity documents and passports had been blocked. The PAC ordered the confiscation of all properties linked to the suspect and demanded a progress report within a month.
The committee also examined staffing issues in Saudi Arabia, questioning the necessity of maintaining a large number of Pakistani staff year-round. PAC members, including Riaz Fatyana and Mohsin Aziz, argued that the ministry should rely more on local hires rather than sending employees from Pakistan. Concerns were also raised over whether government employees were being sent on official Hajj assistance duties annually. The Secretary of Religious Affairs clarified that all assistants sent were government staff and proposed that, in future, only employees of grade 11 and above should be considered for such roles, adding that no one except these assistants performs Hajj free of charge.
