DAGP rejects reports of ‘miscalculations’ in audit reports

ISLAMABAD: The Department of the Auditor-General of Pakistan (DAGP) has strongly rejected recent media reports alleging miscalculations in the federal audit reports, terming them entirely unfounded and misleading.

In a clarification issued on Monday, the DAGP said that the Audit Reports and Appropriation Accounts/ Financial Statements for the fiscal year 2023–24 had been duly submitted to the President of Pakistan and routed through the Prime Minister, strictly in accordance with constitutional provisions and the Rules of Business.

The President approved the submission, and the reports were subsequently transmitted to both Houses of Parliament.

The department explained that the DAGP as the Supreme Audit Institution of the country operates under a constitutional mandate laid down in Articles 168 to 171 of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973. Article 171 unequivocally provides that: “The reports of the Auditor-General relating to the accounts of the Federation shall be submitted to the President, who shall cause them to be laid before both Houses of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament). The reports relating to the accounts of a Province shall be submitted to the Governor of the Province, who shall cause them to be laid before the Provincial Assembly.”

It further explained that the approval of the reports from the President was duly communicated through the President’s Secretariat on 12th April 2025. On receipt of the communication, the requisite number of Federal audit reports was printed for laying before both Houses of the Parliament.

On request of the AGP, the motions were included in the National Assembly’s Orders of the Day issued on 13.08.2025. However, on the same day the National Assembly Secretariat, through its Deputy Secretary (Legislation), informed that the session of the Assembly had been prorogued, and consequently, the motion for laying of reports could not be included in the Orders of the Day.

The Secretariat further asked that the reports may be collected from the Legislation branch, with due observance of confidentiality until such time as they are formally laid before the House. It is further clarified that the Audit Reports transmitted to the Senate remain in the custody of the Senate Secretariat.

In light of the above, the news currently circulating in different sections of print media alleging miscalculations in the Audit Reports and claiming that these reports were returned to the Department of the Auditor-General of Pakistan by the National Assembly Secretariat are entirely unfounded and misleading.

The fact is that the Audit Reports and Appropriation Accounts/ Financial Statements were sent to the National Assembly Secretariat after President’s approval of the Prime Minister’s advice to cause them to be laid before both houses of the parliament. It is further highlighted that Audit Reports were prepared after proper quality assurance and did not contain any errors.

The figure pointed out in the media are only the ones contained in the executive summary of the consolidated federal audit report for the 2024-25 which is prepared solely as a reference document to facilitate stakeholders in accessing and reviewing sector-wise findings.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025