QUETTA: The Balochistan Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered the recovery of Rs91.565 million spent on scholars who failed to return to the country after availing themselves of foreign scholarships, besides directing the University of Balochistan to initiate legal proceedings against the defaulters and their guarantors.
The decisions were taken at a PAC meeting held to examine audit objections concerning the financial and administrative affairs of the University of Balochistan, including alleged financial irregularities and scholarship-related issues.
The meeting discussed an audit objection concerning scholars who went abroad on scholarships but failed to return to Pakistan or resume their duties after completing or abandoning their studies.
In light of the committee’s previous directives, particularly decisions taken on March 7, 2023, and August 7, 2019, the University of Balochistan was directed to coordinate with the chief secretary of Balochistan and approach the FIA, Nadra and Foreign Ministry to take effective measures to bring such scholars back to the country.
The committee ordered legal proceedings for the recovery of Rs91.565m spent on the concerned scholars from the scholars themselves or their guarantors.
The PAC also noted that in some cases, the guarantor and the scholar were close blood relatives. It therefore directed that, in future scholarship cases, a beneficiary’s guarantor should not be a close blood relative.
Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2026
