Balochistan Assembly’s PAC Exposes Major Irregularities in PHE and Water Projects, Orders Investigations

Quetta:The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Balochistan Assembly, chaired by Asghar Ali Tareen, convened a detailed session to review the financial records of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department and various forest and water resource projects. The meeting revealed massive financial irregularities and potential misuse of public funds.

Attendees included PAC members Engineer Zamrak Khan Achakzai, Zabad Ali Reki, Ghulam Dastagir Badini, Fazal Qadir Mandokhail, Secretary PHE Imran Gichki, DG Audit Balochistan Shuja Ali, Additional Accountant General Hafiz Noorul Haq, and other senior officials. Leader of the Opposition Younis Aziz Zehri and Maulana Hidayatur Rehman also attended as special invitees.

A special audit report on PHE Gwadar, covering fiscal years 2018 to 2021, highlighted that over **Rs 5.9 billion** were spent without proper financial entries for outstanding dues. The report also uncovered:

* Failure to deduct income tax on payments, resulting in **Rs 240 million** being released without lawful deductions.
* Awarding of **Rs 4.92 billion** worth of contracts to companies without tenders.
* Questionable spending of **Rs 380 million** on drought-related water supply schemes.
* Missing records for millions worth of fuel, oil, lubricants, and repair materials.

PAC members expressed deep concern and directed inquiries against the responsible officials. Chairman Tareen stressed, “Protecting public money is our top priority. Those who misuse the national treasury will not be spared. We will give a chance to explain—but strict action will follow.”

Maulana Hidayatur Rehman criticized the waste of billions on Gwadar’s water crisis, stating, “Had the funds been used honestly, we’d be shipping water from Singapore by now.” Fazal Qadir Mandokhail suggested referring the matter to NAB (National Accountability Bureau).

The committee also reviewed the **Manghi Dam project audit**, which revealed serious delays and a **42% cost escalation** from Rs 7 billion to over **Rs 18 billion**, with no completion in sight. The delay was attributed to poor planning and consultant incompetence.

The PAC expressed outrage at the lack of progress reports from the concerned department and announced an on-site visit to Manghi Dam by the committee. The project director claimed the dam could be completed by **December 2025** if funding is released. The Chairman instructed the Chief Secretary to release the funds immediately and warned of a fresh special audit if delays continued.

Another shocking revelation was the use of **1.43 million liters of diesel** for water supply to Gwadar, without proper documentation or storage records, violating procurement rules. The lack of logbooks and stock details raised further red flags.

Chairman Tareen concluded by affirming that the PAC will not only expose corruption but will ensure strict legal action to restore public trust in governance and accountability across Balochistan.