Editorial
A fresh controversy has shaken Pakistan’s accountability system as a row intensifies between the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) and the National Assembly Secretariat over the federal audit reports for 2024–25. The Speaker has sent the reports back, citing procedural violations, while the outgoing AGP has rejected allegations of misreporting and insisted that constitutional requirements were followed.
The dispute erupted last month when the Speaker returned the audit reports covering fiscal year 2023–24. The Secretariat argued that the AGP bypassed the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and prematurely uploaded the documents online before their formal presentation in Parliament. Declaring it a “contempt of the House,” the NA’s stance set the stage for an unprecedented clash.
In response, the AGP office dismissed the charges as “misleading” and clarified that the reports were submitted through constitutional channels—via the Prime Minister to the President, who approved them in April 2025. According to the AGP, the documents were scheduled for presentation in the NA on August 13 but were held back when the session was prorogued. Copies sent to the Senate, it added, remain intact with the Senate Secretariat.
At the heart of the storm are startling figures of Rs375,000 billion in irregularities—an amount dwarfing the federal budget and even exceeding Pakistan’s GDP multiple times over. Critics argue such abnormal numbers point either to clerical inflation or deliberate “activism” inside the AGP’s office, raising suspicions about the intent behind releasing them. Former AGP Javed Jehangir has also questioned both the figures and the practice of uploading reports before parliamentary presentation.
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The AGP, however, maintains there is no miscalculation. It explained that the executive summary consolidates sector-wise irregularities to help stakeholders, and that quality checks ensured accuracy. Yet, the core charge—that the reports were made public before reaching Parliament—remains unanswered. For the NA Secretariat, this premature disclosure undermines parliamentary privilege.
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The timing of the row is sensitive, with the incumbent AGP completing his term within a week. A successor has already been notified, and the new office-holder will have to decide the fate of these disputed reports. The episode underscores the fragile balance between constitutional oversight and parliamentary authority, highlighting deep mistrust in Pakistan’s financial accountability chain.
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Whether the controversy reflects systemic flaws or a turf war between institutions, its political weight cannot be ignored. At a time when economic instability demands transparent governance, clashes over audit figures risk weakening institutional trust. The future credibility of Pakistan’s audit regime may now rest on how swiftly the new AGP restores confidence between his office and Parliament.
