Pakistan Bait ul Mal has come under scrutiny after a Senate sub committee raised serious questions regarding alleged illegal promotions, questionable back benefits, suspicious vendor payments, a fake degree case, substandard wheelchair procurement and audit findings involving massive corruption.
The Senate Sub Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety warned that if the department fails to satisfy lawmakers in the next meeting, formal references may be sent for special audit, forensic audit and criminal investigation to the Auditor General of Pakistan and the Federal Investigation Agency.
The sub committee, convened by Senator Rubina Qaimkhani along with Senators Jan Muhammad and Dost Ali Jeesar, conducted a detailed administrative audit and policy review of Pakistan Bait ul Mal at its headquarters. The committee examined departmental appointments, promotion policies, service rules, financial decisions and broader governance matters to assess whether the institution is run according to merit, law and public accountability standards.
The most explosive issue before the committee was the allegation of 191 illegal promotions, including 189 Assistant Directors in the general cadre, reportedly made using so called “dreamy seats” that were created earlier and later used for promotion quotas after a long gap. The sub committee observed that no rule allows such seats to be placed in a promotion quota after 13 to 15 years and noted that the claim of a Supreme Court judgment validating these promotions was misleading.
The committee further noted that Rs190 million had allegedly been paid as illegal back benefits to the officers promoted through this disputed process. Lawmakers expressed grave concern that public money may have been used to benefit officers whose promotions were themselves under serious question.
The committee was informed that after a long gap between Departmental Promotion Committees, the Board opted to promote existing employees into vacant posts instead of hiring fresh staff, resulting in the promotion of 80 employees. However, the sub-committee said later promotions and promotion quotas required strict legal scrutiny because administrative authority cannot be used beyond the Rules of Business and the ESTA Code.
The committee clarified that Pakistan Bait ul Mal is a corporate body established under the PBM Act, and its Managing Director and Board have the administrative and financial powers to prescribe service regulations and manage employee terms. However, it warned that these powers are not unlimited and anything done beyond the Rules of Business and the ESTA Code would be illegal.Financial irregularities also came under strong criticism.
The sub committee noted an alleged illegal advance payment of Rs60 million to a vendor without bidding documents, a contract, or the approval of the competent authority. It also referred to an audit report from Quetta revealing corruption of more than Rs68 crore, adding to concerns about weak financial controls and misuse of public funds.
The committee also raised concerns over recruitment practices, observing that officers with less than the required qualifications were allegedly hired and appointments were made against advertised offers without proper criteria. It further noted that stop gap arrangements were made in violation of rules, while the department appeared to be operating on the basis of likes and dislikes instead of merit and law.A fake degree case within Pakistan Bait ul Mal also came under discussion.
The committee was briefed that an inquiry had been initiated by the Ministry and that the inquiry report had been submitted. The department is now expected to decide the final penalty after completion of the administrative process.
To prevent similar cases in future, the committee directed the Managing Director of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal to deal decisively with professional misconduct and set a clear precedent for the workforce. It also ordered immediate scrutiny of all employee degrees and supporting documents to verify the credentials of the entire staff.The sub-committee also demanded a comprehensive report in the next meeting regarding the procurement of 1,000 sub standard wheelchairs.
It noted that the main culprits had already been identified in an ongoing inquiry and directed the department to explain how such procurement was allowed and who was responsible.The committee further noted that relevant Supreme Court judgments had reportedly been violated and that parliamentary directives had been continuously disregarded.
Members expressed dissatisfaction over the department’s failure to satisfy the committee despite repeated directions.The chair emphasized that the oversight process aims to ensure transparency, protect public money and improve services for citizens who depend on Pakistan Bait ul Mal.
The sub committee announced that if the next briefing remains unsatisfactory, it will recommend a special audit, a forensic audit, and a criminal investigation through the Auditor General of Pakistan and the FIA.
