Balochistan PAC Threatens to Refer Rs15bn Billion Tree Tsunami Project to NAB Over Zero Performance

Quetta: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Balochistan has expressed severe displeasure over the poor performance of the Billion Tree Tsunami project, warning that the matter will be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) if the Forestry Department fails to comply with its directives.

The warning came during a PAC meeting chaired by Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen at the Balochistan Provincial Assembly Secretariat. Committee members Obaidullah Gorgage, Safia Fazal, Fazal Qadir Mandokhail, and Muhammad Khan Lehri attended the meeting, along with Secretary Balochistan Assembly Tahir Shah Kakar, Secretary Forests Imran Gachki, Auditor General Shuja Ali, Special Secretary Siraj Lehri, Additional Secretary Law Saeed Iqbal, and other officials from relevant departments.

The committee reviewed various paras of the Audit Report 2022-23 related to the special audit of the Project Director, Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (Forestry and Wildlife Components), Government of Balochistan, for the financial years 2019-22.

The committee was informed that the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) meeting was not convened before the completion of the audit report on the said paras, which led the PAC to order a special audit. The committee expressed concern that the special audit report had not yet been received by the PAC.

Under audit para 4.1.1, the slow progress of the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme activities was reviewed. According to the audit, frequent transfers of officers in Project Implementation Units (PIUs) and the failure to timely post required staff in the Project Management Unit (PMU) affected the financial and physical progress of the project. The audit revealed that over the past three years, the project’s overall physical progress was only 12.43 percent, while financial progress stood at 10 percent.

The committee directed that since the DAC meeting had not been held on these paras earlier, they should be sent to the DAC, which should convene a meeting within the stipulated time and present its recommendations before the PAC in its next meeting.

It was informed that the first DAC meeting was held on November 12, 2025, but according to audit authorities, the department was still not extending the required cooperation in the physical verification process of the project.

The committee directed the department to complete the physical verification process within 20 days by satisfying the audit authorities and to inform the PAC of the progress.

The meeting also reviewed an audit para regarding a financial loss of Rs55.420 million due to the non-achievement of nursery infrastructure targets under the project. According to the audit, 70 nursery sites were to be established, developed, or upgraded in the province, but the failure to establish the required nursery infrastructure in various PIUs caused financial loss to the project.

The committee directed audit authorities to obtain details of the total number of nurseries established under the project, completed nurseries, and nurseries handed over to relevant departments, and present them before the PAC.

An audit para regarding the non-establishment of the GIS/FMIS system also came under consideration. According to the audit, the purpose of establishing the system was effective monitoring of project activities, data acquisition, and timely review of progress. However, the failure to effectively establish the required system affected real-time monitoring of the project.

The department presented records and details regarding the GIS/FMIS system before the committee, which were reviewed.

Chairman PAC Asghar Ali Tareen expressed regret over the delay in the special Departmental Accounts Committee meeting and pending matters, saying the department had been given time repeatedly, but the required progress was not forthcoming.

The committee granted the relevant department an additional 15 days and directed it to complete all pending matters, satisfy audit authorities, and inform the PAC of the progress. The committee made it clear that in case of fixing responsibility, action would be taken against the relevant officers under the rules and regulations.

Audit authorities informed the committee that replies had been received from the department on some paras, while the provided figures had also been verified.

Review of Rs1,236.719 Million Expenditure on Plantation

The meeting also discussed in detail an audit para regarding an expenditure of Rs1,236.719 million on plantation activities without the effective role of District Coordination Committees. According to the audit, the amount was spent by various PIUs on the purchase and planting of saplings, but meetings of District Coordination Committees were not held in the relevant districts, and the required consultation for selecting plantation sites and determining the needs of relevant departments was not carried out.

Given the importance of the matter and the use of substantial public funds, the committee directed that further verification of the record received by the audit be conducted through the relevant Deputy Commissioners to fully scrutinize the expenditures, plantation sites, and practical results of the project.

Some audit paras related to the Forestry and Wildlife Department were settled after the provision of required records and explanations, while the department was given time to complete the required action on other paras within the stipulated period.

During the meeting, Chairman PAC Asghar Ali Tareen directed audit authorities to also review the matter of a house constructed by the Forestry Department at one location, as according to the chairman, such construction work falls under the domain of the Communication and Works (C&W) Department rather than the Forestry Department. Audit authorities were directed to investigate the matter and present the facts before the committee.

Expressing concern, the committee noted that this was a vast and important project worth more than Rs15 billion, on which a substantial amount of Rs6.35 billion had already been spent. Despite spending billions of rupees over the past ten years, the department’s practical performance remained zero, the committee observed. On this occasion, Obaidullah Gorgage said that therefore, transparency of all nurseries would be verified through the relevant Deputy Commissioner or Commissioner. If the department fails to implement PAC directives, the case will be referred to NAB for action, he warned.

Chairman PAC Asghar Ali Tareen made it clear that the committee would no longer tolerate unnecessary delays and repeated extensions. He directed all relevant institutions to provide the required records, replies, and reports within the stipulated time so that matters related to the use of public funds, project performance, and audit objections could be brought to a transparent and logical conclusion.