The Audit Report 2024–25 has exposed serious financial mismanagement and procedural violations amounting to Rs. 3.9 billion in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and its attached departments.
Covering the fiscal year 2023–24, the audit highlights widespread irregularities in spending, procurement, appointments, asset management, and the recovery of public dues across various entities including the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), Press Information Department (PID), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), and the Press Information Commission (PIC).
One of the most significant findings was the irregular payment of Rs. 763.442 million to PBC officers without legal entitlement. In addition, salaries worth Rs. 15.697 million were paid to officials who were reappointed after retirement, despite a lack of proper authorizations. The hiring of 32 contractual employees in violation of standard recruitment procedures resulted in an additional burden of Rs. 30.369 million.
Violations of procurement rules were reported across the Ministry’s institutions. Contracts and purchases amounting to Rs. 245.460 million were carried out without open competition. Additional procurements worth Rs. 48.270 million were completed through non-transparent means, and another Rs. 19.222 million were spent on direct purchases made without required documentation or approvals.
The audit found that the Ministry failed to recover Rs. 83.702 million from various parties due to negligence in enforcing financial agreements. Another Rs. 41.220 million in outstanding dues against defaulting entities remained uncollected. Rs. 11.154 million was lost due to non-deduction of the government’s share from commercial productions on state-owned platforms.
The misuse of government vehicles and fuel was also documented. Fuel worth Rs. 22.273 million was drawn without justification, and excess fuel consumption of Rs. 12.225 million was recorded beyond permissible limits. These figures reflect widespread misuse of official resources and a lack of operational discipline.
Audit teams were denied access to financial records valued at Rs. 22.879 million in the PID, while a separate Rs. 9.900 million worth of records were not produced by the office of the Principal Information Officer, raising serious concerns over transparency and accountability.
Unadjusted advances amounting to Rs. 12.087 million remained outstanding in PTV. Additional advance payments of Rs. 6.650 million were made for technical equipment without verifying delivery or installation. These transactions reflect a pattern of weak financial oversight and lack of due diligence.
Deviation from approved development projects led to further losses. In one case, a digitization initiative incurred Rs. 31.760 million in expenses that fell outside the approved project scope. A separate project in Gilgit-Baltistan saw Rs. 4.970 million spent without physical verification or supporting documentation.
The audit further revealed that security deposits and earnest money worth Rs. 233.070 million were neither refunded to vendors nor adjusted against their dues. Another Rs. 31.038 million in losses was linked to improper asset and inventory management due to inadequate stock verification procedures.
In the advertising domain, Rs. 200.000 million was released to PID for media campaigns without performance or utilization reports. Rs. 112.000 million was paid in advance to advertising agencies without verifying whether services had been delivered or campaigns executed.
In the case of PEMRA, several irregularities were identified. Dues amounting to Rs. 90.290 million remained unrecovered from TV channels and media license holders, reflecting poor enforcement of licensing terms. Further, procurement worth Rs. 25.020 million was conducted without adhering to PPRA rules. Unauthorized payments of Rs. 18.740 million were made as additional allowances to staff, despite no legal provision for such disbursements.
Audit observations also flagged that the Press Information Commission failed to present proper utilization reports and did not maintain verifiable financial records for grants received and spent, raising concerns about compliance and financial integrity, although no specific amount was quantified for PIC in the report.
The audit recommended strict disciplinary actions against responsible officials, recovery of misused public funds, and the introduction of robust internal controls across all wings of the Ministry. It also advised that future budgetary allocations be linked to demonstrated compliance with financial regulations and the implementation of audit recommendations.
