Pakistan’s federal government has come under scrutiny after an audit report revealed that Rs3,177 billion was spent without parliamentary approval during the 2024-25 fiscal year. According to the Auditor General’s findings, the government obtained supplementary grants totaling Rs3,454 billion, but 92 percent of those grants were not approved by Parliament. The issue of unapproved government spending has raised serious concerns about compliance with constitutional and financial regulations.
The audit report found that supplementary grants worth Rs1,833 billion were obtained for the repayment of loan principal without a proper assessment of actual requirements, resulting in excess expenditure. It also revealed that government spending exceeded the final grant authorized by Parliament by Rs187 billion.
Auditors further reported that federal entities requested budgetary allocations of Rs3,809 billion without conducting adequate needs assessments. At the same time, 115 cost centers failed to utilize Rs87 billion allocated to them, causing the funds to lapse. Additionally, supplementary grants worth Rs41 billion remained unspent.
The Auditor General highlighted several constitutional and financial management violations, including the transfer of Rs7 billion from the Federal Consolidated Fund to the Public Account in violation of Article 78 of the Constitution. The report also noted that Rs24 billion in unclaimed deposits from dormant accounts was not transferred to government accounts as required.
The audit identified weaknesses in accounting systems, a lack of effective internal audit units, and cases involving embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds, and fictitious payments. The Auditor General recommended that serious cases be referred to investigative agencies for further action. The findings are expected to fuel debate over fiscal discipline, transparency, accountability, and unapproved government spending within the federal administration.