QUETTA: Persistent corruption and financial mismanagement in Balochistan’s government departments are severely hindering development and governance in the province.
This issue was starkly highlighted during a recent meeting of the Balochistan Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Asghar Tareen. The committee reviewed the audit report for the Revenue Department and uncovered several major irregularities.
It was revealed that in the 2016-17 fiscal year, the department failed to return ₨740 million in unspent funds. Furthermore, for 2019-21, the department could not provide expenditure records for ₨3.37 million. Most alarmingly, during 2020-22, various deputy commissioners illegally held ₨19 billion in personal bank accounts instead of depositing it into the government treasury—a direct violation of financial rules.
Also read: Balochistan education dept cracks down on fake degree holders
The committee also found that over ₨1 billion was never collected in agricultural and property taxes, causing significant losses to the provincial treasury.
In a strong move toward accountability, the committee decided to bring a privilege motion against the deputy commissioners and commissioners who failed to implement orders from five years ago. This action is seen as a critical step to hold officials responsible, expose corruption, and ensure that proven cases lead to legal consequences. For Balochistan to progress, experts stress that honest officers must be empowered to ensure public funds are used for public welfare, not lost to graft.
