The Interior Ministry has said that more than Rs1.35 billion were spent over the past five years to manage protests in Islamabad’s Red Zone.

The details were presented during the National Assembly’s question hour, outlining how much each government spent on controlling demonstrations and sit-ins.

In 2018, when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government took office, it faced one protest by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, two by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), and one by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

In the fiscal year 2019-20, Rs157.7 million were spent on handling these protests.

The following year, 2020-21, saw expenditures of Rs96.1 million, while in 2021-22, the amount rose to Rs 277.9 million.

Also, read this

Steel Mill scandal: 54 acres of land allotted to four individuals

Grand opening ceremony of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at Lahore’s Shahi Qila

PM Shehbaz will inaugurate revamped Lahore stadium on Feb 7, says PCB chief Naqvi

In 2022, after the PTI government was ousted through a no-confidence motion, the PDM-led government took charge.

The caretaker setup that followed was essentially a continuation of the same alliance. After the general elections on February 8, 2024, the new government once again comprised PDM-affiliated parties, which then had to deal with PTI-led protests and sit-ins.

During 2022-23, a staggering Rs724 million was spent on managing protests in Islamabad, while in 2023-24, the amount stood at Rs100 million.

PAC demands Toshakhana records dating back to 1947

The PAC demanded a complete record of the Toshakhana (state gift repository) dating back to 1947. However, the Cabinet Secretary stated that records prior to 2001 are classified.

During a PAC meeting chaired by Junaid Akbar, it was disclosed that new regulations are being drafted under the Toshakhana Act 2024, with cabinet approval already granted for proposed amendments. The committee has directed authorities to submit details of all auctioned gifts within 15 days.

The meeting also reviewed the Cabinet Division’s audit report for 2023-24, uncovering irregularities exceeding Rs3 billion. The PAC suspended audit reports from departmental accounts committees and instructed the Cabinet Secretary to reconvene the review process.

Audit officials revealed that Toshakhana rules were amended multiple times between 2001 and 2018 without cabinet approval. The finance secretary confirmed that records before 2002 remain classified and must be declassified by an inter-ministerial committee.

It was also disclosed that while records from 2002 to 2024 are available on the official website, PAC Chairman Junaid Akbar insisted that hard copies be provided to committee members.

The cabinet secretary noted that the government is seriously considering banning public officeholders from receiving gifts. He also clarified that details of gifts received by military officials are not maintained by the Cabinet Division. Under the new Toshakhana Act, public officeholders will no longer be allowed to retain gifts even by paying their assessed value.

A major revelation in the meeting was that Toshakhana gifts have never been auctioned through an open public sale. Instead, gifts were auctioned internally among government officials. Despite multiple advertisements, private-sector appraisers never came forward to conduct independent evaluations.

PAC member Aminul Haq criticised the lack of transparency, comparing the Toshakhana system to a “blind man distributing sweets.” The committee has deferred all audit objections related to Toshakhana.

PAC reviews PCB audit

The PAC also examined the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) audit report and expressed frustration over Chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s absence. The cabinet secretary explained that Naqvi holds multiple key positions, making it difficult for him to fulfil his responsibilities effectively.

Senator Fauzia Arshad argued that Naqvi’s additional roles should be eliminated.

Discussing the expenses of the 2025 Champions Trophy, the PAC chairman remarked that reports suggest Rs29 billion were spent while revenue stood at just Rs1 billion.

However, PCB’s chief financial officer refuted the claim, stating that the tournament was organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which had a budget of $70 million.

PAC members questioned the source of funds used for stadium renovations. In response to Naqvi’s absence, the committee deferred all PCB-related audit objections and summoned him for the next session.

PAC Chairman Junaid Akbar remarked, “Let’s see if Mohsin Naqvi, who did not attend even when summoned by the prime minister, will appear before us.”

The committee has also requested a detailed breakdown of expenses incurred during the Champions Trophy.

NEPRA disputes performance audit authority

During the meeting, PAC Chairman Junaid Akbar disclosed that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has challenged the committee’s authority to conduct a performance audit. NEPRA has argued that it possesses judicial powers and is therefore not subject to such audits.

The auditor general stated that NEPRA’s stance has significantly undermined parliamentary oversight.

NEPRA has taken the matter to the High Court, while the PAC has escalated it to the Supreme Court. However, the Law Ministry has yet to provide legal representation for PAC in the case.

The law secretary pointed out that Article 170 of the Constitution mentions financial audits but does not explicitly cover performance audits.

However, committee officials clarified that the National Assembly has already amended its rules to grant the Auditor General authority for performance audits.