Speaker PA orders suspension of officials over Kohistan corruption scandal

An emergency meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was held at Rehman Baba Hall of the KP Assembly on Monday, chaired by Speaker and PAC Chairman Babar Saleem Swati.
The meeting was convened to address a suspected multi-billion rupee financial scandal involving Rs 36 billion in suspicious transactions from a government account in District Kohistan.
Terming it the most serious financial scandal in the province’s history, Speaker Swati expressed grave concern over the irregularities and ordered the immediate suspension of officials allegedly involved.
He directed the Finance Department, the Communication and Works (C&W) Department, and the Office of the Accountant General to submit a detailed report within three days.
“If the internal inquiry is found lacking, we will initiate an independent third-party audit and proceed with criminal charges,” warned the Speaker.
The Accountant General of KP, Nasruddin, informed the committee that between 2016 and 2024, Rs 181 billion were deposited and Rs 206 billion withdrawn from the account in question, resulting in an unexplained shortfall of Rs 24 billion.
He clarified that while these accounts were officially under the Finance Department, they were practically controlled by district accounts officers under the AG’s Office.
Director of NAB KP, Shafqat Mehmood, confirmed that the bureau has already launched an inquiry. “We have requisitioned all relevant documents, bank records, and official files,” he said, assuring the committee of regular updates on the investigation’s progress.
Advisor to the Finance Department, Muzzammil Aslam, provided further details, stating that Rs 594 billion had been released for development projects between 2019 and 2024, including Rs 125 billion earmarked for road infrastructure.
He emphasized that the Kohistan account was directly managed by the C&W Department, with no direct oversight from the Finance Department.
During the session, MPAs Sajjadullah, Arbab Usman, and Ahmad Karim Kundi raised serious concerns about the lack of transparency in development funding, warning that such practices erode public trust in government institutions.
He reiterated that the PAC will exercise its full constitutional authority to ensure transparency and that no institution or individual will be exempt from scrutiny.