The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has withdrawn its earlier audit report that cited AGP Rs375 trillion irregularities in federal accounts. The staggering figure, which was more than 27 times Pakistan’s annual budget, has now been admitted as a result of typographical errors.
A corrected version, titled Consolidated Audit Report of Federal Government for Audit Year 2024-25, has been uploaded on the official website. It states that in two places the term “trillion” was mistakenly used instead of “billion.” The revised audit now estimates irregularities at Rs9.769 trillion.
The updated report notes that these irregularities span several years. They include issues such as unresolved circular debt, land disputes, and financial mismanagement in corporations and government companies. While lower than the withdrawn figure, the corrected amount is still massive, nearly two-thirds of Pakistan’s federal budget for 2023-24.
The earlier report, uploaded in August, had claimed procurement-related irregularities of Rs284 trillion, defective civil works worth Rs85.6 trillion, and receivables of Rs2.5 trillion. These numbers implied irregularities greater than the country’s entire GDP, drawing heavy criticism from economists and government insiders. Many questioned whether the AGP had mistakenly multiplied data or combined figures across multiple years.
Initially, the AGP defended the inflated report, insisting that such large irregularities were possible. It even issued a press release to back its findings. However, mounting skepticism forced a review, and the office later conceded that the figures were the result of typographical mistakes.
Despite the correction, the audit confirms that the federal financial system continues to face serious challenges. The report highlights weak financial controls, lack of transparency, and recurring problems in budget management. It also notes that the audit exercise itself cost Rs3.02 billion.
The revised findings will now be presented in Parliament after approval by the President. Analysts believe the controversy has raised significant concerns about the reliability of the country’s auditing process and the credibility of its top financial watchdog.
