QUETTA: The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has raised an objection to the payment of Rs1.6 billion in cash awards to employees of five Balochistan government departments, questioning the legality of the payments and seeking justification for the release of the funds.
According to the Audit Report on the Accounts of the Government of Balochistan for the financial year 2025-26, the Balochistan Finance Department released Rs1.6 billion under the head of grants-in-aid. Audit authorities have termed the expenditure irregular and recommended that the practice be discontinued and the amount recovered.
The payments were reportedly made to employees of the Finance Department, Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Chief Minister’s House, Governor House and Balochistan Assembly as cash awards for their role in the preparation of the provincial budget in 2023.
Auditor General questions legality of cash awards
The audit report cited a 2020 judgment of the Balochistan High Court, stating that the payment of such cash awards falls within the category of an exercise of authority beyond the prescribed powers.
The audit authorities had taken up the matter with the Balochistan Finance Department in June 2025 and sought an explanation. However, according to the report, no response was provided by the department.
The audit has recommended that the provincial government provide justification for releasing the funds, discontinue the practice of awarding such payments and recover the amount already paid.
Finance Department rejects impression of embezzlement
Balochistan Finance Department Special Secretary Arif Khan Achakzai rejected the impression that Rs1.6 billion had been embezzled.
He said an audit paragraph should not automatically be interpreted as proof of corruption or misappropriation, explaining that audit objections are often raised when departments fail to provide the required documents and records within the stipulated time.
Achakzai said the objection could also have arisen because the relevant documents were not provided to the audit authorities in time.
Government says payments follow an approval process
The Special Secretary said government funds could not simply be withdrawn by an individual and that a prescribed procedure was followed for expenditure.
According to him, proposals involving government expenditure are submitted through official channels and, where required, sent to the provincial cabinet for approval.
He further said that allocations ranging from one rupee to billions of rupees are approved through the provincial budget process by the Balochistan Assembly.
Achakzai maintained that if additional salaries, cash awards or other payments are made to government employees, the authority to approve such payments rests with the chief minister and the provincial cabinet, subject to the applicable rules and procedures.
Audit objection is not a final finding of corruption
An audit paragraph is not, by itself, a final judicial determination of embezzlement or corruption. It represents an objection raised by audit authorities and initiates a process in which the concerned department is required to provide records, explanations and justification.
The matter can subsequently be examined by the relevant government and audit forums before a final decision is reached.
The Rs1.6 billion cash-award case therefore remains subject to the audit process, including the provincial government’s response and the examination of supporting records and approvals.
