FRP Review Meeting Held; Remaining Houses Targeted for Completion by October 2026, While Housing Support for 200 More Deserving Families Also Under Consideration
QUETTA (K.N) The Balochistan Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) expressed serious concern over major audit objections involving Sandeman Provincial Hospital (SPH) Quetta and directed the concerned authorities to submit all required records and explanations to the committee within 15 days.
The PAC meeting was held under the chairmanship of Committee Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen at the committee room. Members Fazal Qadir Mandokhail, Muhammad Khan Lehri, Safia Fazal, Rehmat Saleh Baloch and Wali Muhammad Noorzai attended the meeting, along with Secretary Balochistan Assembly Tahir Shah Kakar, Director General Audit Shuja Ali, Special Secretary Health Shaheek Baloch, Special Secretary PAC Siraj Lehri, Additional Secretary Law Saeed Iqbal, Medical Superintendent Civil Hospital Quetta Dr Hadi, Director General Health Balochistan Dr Amin and other officials.
The meeting conducted a detailed review of the special audit objections concerning Sandeman Provincial Hospital Quetta for the financial year 2022-23.
The chairman and committee members expressed strong displeasure over the failure of the Health Department to provide the required record on time and the lack of implementation of previous PAC directives.
PAC Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen said that for the past one and a half years, the Health Department had merely been presenting its position before the committee without properly implementing rules, regulations and PAC directions.
He said the constitutional and legal powers vested in the PAC were intended to ensure transparency, accountability and financial discipline in the utilization of public resources. However, the department’s conduct was creating an impression that the committee was not being taken seriously.
Rs30.016 Million Drug Procurement Audit Objection
The meeting reviewed an audit objection involving the alleged irregular procurement of medicines worth Rs30.016 million.
According to the special audit, significant irregularities were identified in the procurement of medicines by the administration of Sandeman Provincial Hospital Quetta. The supply order was issued in the name of M/s FDL, Peshawar, while payment was made to M/s Health Tech Quetta.
The audit also raised objections over the discrepancy between the supply orders and bills, the absence of entries in the stock register, and the non-availability of delivery challans and inspection reports.
The matter was reported to the department on May 10, 2023, but no response was received. During a Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) meeting held on October 23, 2023, the department maintained that M/s FDL was the manufacturing agency while M/s Health Tech was its authorized distributor and had supplied the medicines on behalf of M/s FDL and received payment.
The DAC directed the department to provide all relevant records to the audit authorities. However, during verification, the department failed to provide M/s FDL’s consent, stock registers, delivery challans, inspection reports, and details of the medicine consignments and batch numbers.
PAC Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen expressed strong displeasure and directed the relevant authorities not to take the committee’s time and powers lightly. He ordered that all required records be completed and submitted to the committee within 15 days.
Rs22.825 Million Worth of Medicines Missing from Central Store
The committee also conducted a detailed review of an audit objection concerning medicines worth Rs22.825 million allegedly missing from the hospital’s central store.
According to the audit, under GFR 151 Volume-I, the officer responsible for stores is required to ensure the safe custody, proper maintenance, complete record-keeping, inventory and accurate accounting of government stores to prevent losses caused by theft, damage, fraud or other reasons.
The special audit found that medicines worth Rs22.825 million were missing from the central store during the financial year 2019-20. The pharmacist in charge had brought the matter to the administration’s notice, but it remained unresolved. Delivery challans and inspection committee reports were also not available in the official record.
During the DAC meeting, the department maintained that no medicines were missing from the central store and that certain records had been provided for audit verification. However, examination of the records revealed discrepancies between the opening and closing balances in the stock register.
The administration also failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the discrepancies, while some entries in the stock register were found to have been made retrospectively.
The PAC chairman expressed serious concern over the matter, saying that merely suspending employees was not a solution and that responsibility must be determined and legal action taken against those found responsible.
Committee members Fazal Qadir Mandokhail, Muhammad Khan Lehri, Safia Fazal, Rehmat Saleh Baloch and Wali Muhammad Noorzai also expressed displeasure, noting that this was the fourth PAC meeting to review the audit objection. They said the department had already been given several opportunities to resolve the matter, including an extension granted in September 2025, but no satisfactory progress had been made.
Chairman Asghar Ali Tareen warned that if satisfactory explanations and complete records regarding the missing medicines and irregularities in the documentation were not provided, the committee would consider recommending that the matter be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or that an FIR be registered.
He said billions of rupees were being spent on the Health Department, yet the desired results were not being achieved. He described the department’s performance as highly concerning and remarked that activities appeared to be more visible on social media and TikTok than on the ground.
The PAC chairman also expressed concern over reports that some suspended employees were still attending their offices, describing the situation as a reflection of administrative weaknesses and failure to implement official orders.
He said the time of the Public Accounts Committee could not be wasted and that it would be difficult to make meaningful progress if departments attended meetings without adequate preparation. He warned that such meetings would not be allowed to continue in the same manner and said the Chief Secretary Balochistan would also be informed of the situation in writing.
He further said the report and the issue would be presented before the provincial assembly.
At the conclusion of the meeting, on the request of committee members, the concerned department was directed to complete and submit all required records, explanations and documents related to both audit objections before the Public Accounts Committee within 15 days.
About the Author
