An audit report has revealed financial irregularities worth Rs222.668 billion in the Ministry of Communications and its attached departments during the 2022-23 fiscal year, when Maulana Asad Mahmood, son of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, was serving as Minister for Communications and Works.
The report highlights irregularities involving fraud, theft, recruitment, procurement, the hiring of private companies, unauthorised bank accounts and other financial and administrative matters. According to the audit findings, 40 cases involving fraud, theft and robbery accounted for irregularities worth Rs48.8 million, while four cases related to human resources and recruitment involved Rs2.73 billion.
Following a Finance Division directive dated September 30, 2022, the Establishment Division authorised the Pakistan Postal Services Department to fill 3,938 vacant positions. However, the department appointed 4,252 people to grades 1 through 15, exceeding the approved number by 314. The audit report described the excess appointments as politically motivated and in violation of established rules and regulations.
The report identified five cases of procurement-related irregularities that allegedly caused a loss of Rs3.2616 billion to the national exchequer. In another finding, the report highlighted the engagement of four private companies by Pakistan Post during the 2022-23 fiscal year, despite a reported directive requiring government departments to use Pakistan Postal Services for internal and external correspondence to increase the department’s revenue.
The report estimated that the arrangement resulted in financial benefits of Rs2.8683 billion for the private companies during the period under review.
The audit report also identified a loss of Rs20.85 billion linked to unauthorised administrative dealings involving a commercial bank. According to the findings, the Finance Division authorised Pakistan Post on June 25, 2021, to open three accounts with the National Bank of Pakistan. However, the department opened five accounts, exceeding the authorised limit by two.
The report stated that transactions worth Rs20 billion were conducted through the two additional accounts, which it described as unauthorised. The report further identified another alleged loss of Rs492.5 million to the national exchequer and called for the recovery of Rs3.7439 billion in 11 separate cases.
In addition, 15 other cases involving Rs194.5451 billion in alleged losses were highlighted in the audit findings. Overall, the report points to extensive financial and administrative irregularities involving the Ministry of Communications and Pakistan Post, covering recruitment, procurement, banking arran