Flood Awareness Funds Misused, PAC Finds
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found serious irregularities in the spending of funds by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for the fiscal year 2023–24.
According to the audit, only Rs. 160 million out of a Rs. 1.95 billion grant set aside for flood awareness was spent on its original purpose. The rest of the funds were redirected to promote other government schemes, which the committee said violated financial rules laid out by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).
Committee members criticised the ministry for not conducting timely internal review meetings and failing to provide proper financial oversight. The lack of Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) sessions, they noted, allowed such violations to go unchecked.
PAC directed the concerned ministry to take the audit objection back to DAC for detailed analysis and report the findings in the next review.
Another issue raised during the meeting was the ongoing salary crisis at Pakistan Television (PTV). A member of the committee highlighted that regular staff had gone without pay for over six months, while freelance analysts and external anchors continued to receive significant compensation.
Members questioned how such financial decisions could be made while salaried workers remained unpaid. The PAC demanded an explanation from the ministry, stating that the situation was unacceptable and showed poor financial planning.
The committee has asked the ministry to submit a written report detailing the misallocation of the grant and the reasons behind the delayed salaries at PTV.
PAC members stressed the importance of accountability and urged stricter enforcement of budget regulations in state-owned media outlets. They warned that unchecked spending could damage public trust and lead to further inefficiencies.
