ISLAMABAD; The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday took serious notice of Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s remarks about Pakistani bureaucrats purchasing properties in Portugal and directed the Establishment Division and the Ministry of Interior to immediately provide a list of all such officials.
Chaired by Junaid Akbar Khan, the committee summoned representatives from the Interior Ministry, State Bank, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and other relevant bodies for a detailed briefing at its next session. It also decided to address issues of tax exemptions in the former FATA and PATA regions and to hear grievances of protesting Utility Stores employees.
During scrutiny of the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ audit reports for FY 2022-23 and 2023-24, auditors revealed that former Assistant Accounts Officer in Jeddah, Muhammad Kaleem, allegedly embezzled a total of Rs44.715 million from Haj-related funds, including meal charges and the Pilgrim Welfare Fund. The funds were reportedly diverted to Kaleem’s personal account after tampering with official bank statements.
Officials said Kaleem had secured a Canadian visa before the fraud was uncovered and is now living abroad. The Religious Affairs Ministry confirmed he has been dismissed from service, with the FIA declaring him and his wife proclaimed offenders. Requests have been made to Interpol for a red warrant, though no properties have yet been seized.
The DG Haj in Makkah noted that at the time of the fraud, a transferred director’s bank ID had not been deactivated, enabling the transactions. He assured that security protocols have since been strengthened.
The committee demanded details of the accused’s properties within a month and criticised the weak follow-up in the case, stressing that such a large-scale fraud could not have been committed by one person alone. It also sought complete records of staff deployed to assist pilgrims during Haj, amid revelations of irregular payments — including Rs49.8 million paid in cash for tents without receipts or DG Haj’s signature.
The PAC directed that progress reports be submitted within a month, alongside steps to alert the relevant countries of the accused’s criminal record.
