PAC Demands List of Officials with Portugal Properties

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) addressed Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s remarks regarding Pakistani bureaucrats acquiring properties in Portugal. The committee has instructed the Establishment Division and the Ministry of Interior to promptly provide a comprehensive list of all officials involved.

The committee has called upon representatives from the Ministry of Interior, State Bank, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and other pertinent agencies to attend the upcoming meeting for a detailed briefing.

The committee, led by Junaid Akbar Khan, reviewed audit concerns raised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs pertaining to the fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Junaid Akbar Khan instructed that complete information about the plots procured by the bureaucrats should be gathered.

Initially, Junaid Akbar Khan stated that the committee plans to include matters pertaining to tax exemptions in the former Fata and Pata regions on the agenda for their meeting on August 19. Expressing apprehension over the potential closure of utility stores, the committee resolved to seek a briefing on this matter during their subsequent meeting.

The committee agreed to summon the respective departments to the next session and address the complaints of protesting Utility Stores employees.

During the examination of the audit para concerning the Ministry of Religious Affairs, audit personnel informed the committee about a former assistant accounts officer, Muhammad Kaleem, based in Jeddah, who had embezzled Rs12 million. Objections were also raised against the same officer, who had deducted meal charges from assistants in 2019 but failed to remit payment to the contractor, misappropriating funds from the Hajj Welfare Fund.

Additional audit paras implicated Kaleem in the alleged embezzlement of Rs44.25 million in total. He was also reportedly involved in misappropriating Rs21.141 million from food charges deducted from Moavineen and embezzling Rs3.456 million from the Pilgrim Welfare Fund. The total embezzlement was stated to be Rs44.715 million.

Officials notified the committee that the accused had previously obtained a Canadian visa and is currently residing in Canada.

The Secretary of Religious Affairs stated that the ministry had terminated the official’s employment, contacted the FIA to file an FIR, and inquired whether Interpol had been notified.

FIA representatives stated that both the accused and his wife are declared offenders, currently residing in the US, with no documented record of their assets.

The committee learned that during the audit of DG Hajj, Jeddah, for the FYs 2018-21, Rs12 million (SRLs271,508.88) was transferred by the Chief Accounts Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad on August 24, 2021, as a regular monthly recoupment for June 2021.

The transferred funds were deposited into the Directorate General’s bank account at Bank Al Riyadh on August 28, 2021. However, this amount was not recorded as a receipt in the cash account for August 2021.

Instead, Muhammad Kaleem, AAO, transferred the amount on August 29, 2021, to another bank account (No. 163-12 862-9942) named Madina Income Account, held at the same bank. Consequently, the entire sum was moved to Muhammad Kaleem’s personal bank account.

Furthermore, the officer allegedly manipulated the Directorate General’s bank statements to conceal the embezzlement.

According to the audit, the embezzlement of Rs12 million in remittances resulted in a financial loss to the government.

Junaid Akbar questioned the DG Hajj’s role, considering an assistant accountant was perpetrating such acts.

Secretary of Religious Affairs, Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, informed the committee that the ministry had requested the interior ministry and Interpol to issue a red warrant for the accused. Senator Afnanullah Khan pointed out that neither a red warrant had been issued nor assets seized in connection with the case.

The DG Hajj in Makkah clarified that there were three authorized signatories at the time. One of them, the then-director, had been transferred, but their bank ID remained active, enabling the transaction. He mentioned that the system has since been reinforced.

The ministry stated that the accused currently resides in Canada, and efforts to recover funds through his assets are underway.

The committee has mandated that details of the accused’s assets be provided within one month. The committee chairman asserted that such a substantial fraud could not have been executed by a single individual and criticized the inadequate follow-up on the case.

The committee instructed the secretary of religious affairs to update the committee within a month on the progress of the case and inform the relevant country about the accused’s criminal history. The committee also addressed matters related to the Hajj operation, with members requesting a roster of all employees from various grades dispatched to Saudi Arabia to aid pilgrims.

According to the secretary of religious affairs, 1,700 staff members are deployed during the Hajj season, with 20% of positions reserved for the police and the remaining positions open.

Last year, 1,700 individuals out of 64,000 applicants, including 350 officers of Grade 18, were selected.

He stated that one assistant is assigned for every 100 pilgrims, adhering to Saudi guidelines. The staff travels on service visas, which restrict their access to Mina and Arafat.

Audit officials clarified that these personnel are sent to assist the pilgrims and not to perform Hajj themselves.

The committee requested data on the number of judges, politicians, and bureaucrats who participated in the Hajj operation. The secretary stated that all accompanying staff are government employees from Grade 7 to 18, and last year, 130 personnel from the armed forces were also included.

Audit officials presented irregularities to the committee, revealing that Rs49.8 million (SAR 907,000) was disbursed in cash to a company for tents in Mina and Arafat for 615 individuals without receipts or records. The bill also lacked the DG Hajj’s signature. The DG explained that the realities on the ground during Hajj are different and suggested exempting Hajj arrangements from PPRA regulations.