Another major financial scandal has emerged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) 13-year rule, with allegations of massive corruption, embezzlement and plundering of provincial resources in the minerals sector.
A government audit report has exposed serious shortcomings in the PTI government’s claims of transparency and accountability. According to the report, the irregularities went beyond ordinary administrative negligence and involved a systematic network of corruption and collusion with the land mafia, causing losses of more than Rs16.94 billion to the provincial exchequer within a single year.
According to details released by the Audit Department, illegal mining was allowed to continue across the province during 2022 and 2023 under the alleged patronage and negligence of senior officials of the PTI government. As a result, natural resources and minerals worth more than Rs8 billion were extracted illegally.
The audit report also highlighted the deliberate failure to recover Rs4.31 billion in outstanding dues from favoured contractors and defaulters. It said the unpaid amounts raised serious questions about possible official and political patronage of the irregularities.
According to the report, illegal mining continued across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite the presence of check posts, inspectors and a substantial workforce from the Minerals Department. The failure of the relevant institutions to prevent these activities resulted in a further loss of Rs3.08 billion to the provincial treasury.
The report further pointed to the illegal and excessive extraction of gravel and sand under the pretext of carrying out public-interest projects, including road construction and the development of small dams. These activities allegedly resulted in the loss of another Rs3.07 billion in public resources.
Political and economic analysts say the figures cited in the audit report raise serious questions about the management of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s natural wealth during PTI’s extended tenure in the province. They argue that the irregularities warrant a thorough investigation into the use of mineral resources, the recovery of government dues and the role of influential contractors.
Public demands are growing for accountability of former ministers, bureaucrats and contractors involved in the financial irregularities. Citizens have called for an impartial investigation, legal action against those found responsible, and the recovery of the money reportedly lost from the provincial treasury.
