ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has been informed by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) that 143,000 government officials had received an illegal distribution of Rs19 billion from the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).
Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, a member of the PAC, asked BISP secretary Yousuf Khan about the status of the investigation into the distribution of money among government officials in 2020 during the examination of the audit report of the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was asked to look into the issue of the distribution of BISP payments to underserved beneficiaries when it first came to light in 2020.
In response to the question of Senator Syed, BISP secretary Yousuf Khan told the committee that of the 143,000 ineligible beneficiaries who were in the government service, 2,500 had been working in BS-17 and above.
He said these officials had been drawing the BISP’s funds meant for the needy people in the names of their spouses and relatives.
The PAC chairman also formed a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the scam and sought a report within a fortnight. He also directed the BISP to provide the record to the JIT comprising officials of the AGP, FIA and National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
During examination of the audit para about non-production of the record of Rs202 million of the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund that was placed at the disposal of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) and Akhuwat Microfinance, the PAC expressed displeasure over the BISP management.
