LAHORE: The Public Accounts Committee-1 (PAC-1) of the Punjab Assembly has officially handed over four major audit paragraphs from the 2021-22 fiscal year exceeding Rs1 billion to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for a thorough investigation.

According to officials, the cases referred to the anti-graft watchdog involve significant financial mismanagement that threatens the national exchequer. These matters include approximately Rs410 million in irregularities regarding project approvals under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, the non-deduction of income tax on installment payments, and various other financial lapses resulting in potential losses to public funds.

During the meeting, the committee expressed strong displeasure over the performance of the Punjab higher education department (HED) and directed all relevant departments to make the accountability process much more effective.

“The accountability process is being strengthened to safeguard public resources,” said Iftikhar Hussain Chhachhar, Chairman of the committee.

The chairman has formally directed NAB to complete its investigation into these matters within three months and submit a comprehensive report back to the committee. Furthermore, the committee reiterated that such stringent measures would continue in the future to ensure strict financial discipline and absolute transparency in public spending.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026