ISLAMABAD: The Sub-Committee of the Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety convened at Old PIPs Hall, Parliament Lodges, to address ongoing compliance issues with Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM). Chaired by Senator Rubina Qaim Khani, the committee scrutinized PBM’s failure to adhere to binding directives issued on multiple dates, focusing on illegal promotions, financial irregularities, and procurement issues.

According to Senate of Pakistan, the PBM management has not submitted any compliance reports despite repeated directives over the past seven months. The internal audit team identified several irregularities, but no remedial actions were implemented. The committee criticized the internal audit’s ineffectiveness and attributed the persistent issues to what it described as “mafia tactics” obstructing parliamentary oversight. The management contested the feasibility of submitting a report on affidavit, denying occurrences of systemic corruption or nepotism.

The committee and PBM agreed on the necessity of a special audit. Invoking Rule 183 of the Senate Rules of Procedure, formal reference letters were issued to the Auditor General of Pakistan and the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency. The audit will examine excess promotions, illegal financial benefits, and procurement violations totaling over Rs. 1.015 billion, among other issues. The FIA has been authorized to intervene and potentially register an FIR should PBM fail to cooperate or provide complete records within thirty days.

The Sub-Committee emphasized its focus on institutional reform rather than individual penalties, aiming to restore governance according to constitutional and legal frameworks. It underscored that the financial mismanagement primarily affects the country’s poorest citizens.