ISLAMABAD: Financial irregularities amounting to Rs222 billion reported when JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s son, Asad Mahmood, was serving as federal minister for communications and Pakistan postal service department during 2022-23.
The audit report has highlighted serious questions over recruitment, procurement, banking arrangements and the use of private courier companies, pointing to major financial irregularities in the postal sector during Asad Mehmood’s tenure.
According to the findings, 40 cases involving alleged fraud, theft and robbery accounted for irregularities of Rs48.8 million, while four cases related to recruitment and human resources involved Rs2.73 billion. One of the major observations concerned appointments in the Pakistan Postal Services Department.
The Establishment Division had allowed the department to fill 3,938 vacant posts following a Finance Division directive issued on September 30, 2022. However, the department made 4,252 appointments in grades 1 to 15, exceeding the approved number by 314.
The audit described the additional appointments as contrary to rules and regulations and politically motivated. Five procurement cases reportedly caused a loss of Rs3.2616 billion to the national exchequer. The report also questioned Pakistan Post’s decision to hire four private companies for correspondence services during 2022-23, despite a government directive to use the postal service for official communications to help increase its revenue.
The arrangement allegedly benefited the private companies by Rs2.8683 billion. In another major finding, the audit reported an alleged loss of Rs20.85 billion through unauthorised administrative arrangements involving a commercial bank.
The report further stated that the Finance Division had authorised Pakistan Post to open three accounts at the National Bank of Pakistan on June 25, 2021.
However, five accounts were opened despite the instructions, and transactions worth Rs20 billion were carried out through the accounts described as unauthorised. The audit also identified a separate case involving a reported loss of Rs492.5 million to the national exchequer.
In addition, 11 cases involving Rs3.7439 billion were flagged for recovery, while 15 other cases reportedly accounted for losses of Rs194.5451 billion. The findings raise questions about financial oversight and compliance with government rules in the postal sector during the period under review.
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