Massive Financial Irregularities Uncovered in Punjab Government’s 2023-24 Accounts

Lahore – A shocking audit report has revealed large-scale financial mismanagement, embezzlement, and corruption in several departments of the Punjab government during the fiscal year 2023-24. The audit, conducted by the Auditor General of Punjab, focused on expenditures made under the caretaker government and has uncovered numerous serious violations.

According to a detailed report by journalist Zahid Gishkori, the Punjab Food Department alone saw fraud and embezzlement totaling **Rs 1.65 billion**. In Dera Ghazi Khan, food centers were responsible for misappropriating **Rs 840 million**, while **Rs 785 million** was reported missing in Lahore due to staff involvement.

Additionally, the audit found a **Rs 300 million** fraud in wheat supplies to flour mills, and four mills allegedly misappropriated **Rs 200 million** under the Ramzan Package and subsidized flour schemes. These mills reportedly caused a total loss of **Rs 400 million** to the public treasury.

A particularly alarming discovery was the disappearance of **7.4 million tons** of imported wheat valued at **Rs 910 million**, raising serious questions about the handling of government food reserves.

In another scandal, **Rs 780 million** was fraudulently spent under the guise of hiring foreign faculty for the Abdul Salam School in Lahore using fake documents. Similarly, in Khanewal and Lodhran, **Rs 45 million** was embezzled through fake land acquisition claims for road construction.

Out of a total government budget of **Rs 2,981 billion**, only **Rs 619 billion** was audited. From this amount, **Rs 25.5 billion** worth of recoveries have been recommended across 50 different cases.

The audit also highlighted other alarming issues:

* **Rs 250 million** worth of weapons missing from the Punjab Home Department.
* Theft of **Rs 7 million** reported at Nawaz Sharif University and UET Lahore.
* **21 cases** involving financial irregularities worth **Rs 10.5 billion**.
* **45 cases** of flawed procurement totaling **Rs 43.5 billion**.
* Miscellaneous irregularities amounting to **Rs 8 billion**.

Caretaker ministers have been asked to explain these discrepancies, but no formal responses have been received yet. The audit report once again underscores the chronic lack of transparency and accountability in government institutions.