Balochistan PAC Exposes Billions in Energy Mismanagement

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Balochistan Assembly has uncovered egregious financial mismanagement in the provincial energy department, revealing irregularities costing billions of rupees and issuing stern warnings of stringent accountability measures if such lapses persist.

During a contentious PAC session chaired by Asghar Ali Tareen, audit officials disclosed that in fiscal year 2021–22, the department received an allocation of Rs10.4 billion, but only Rs8 billion was expended, allowing Rs2.31 billion to lapse unused. Lawmakers condemned this as reckless budgeting and a glaring governance failure.

Adding to the furor, audit records revealed that Rs10 billion was paid to K-Electric and Rs30 billion to Qesco for subsidized tube wells without any meter readings, relying solely on estimates. Committee members branded this practice as blatant malpractice and outright looting.

The session drew sharp rebukes from members including Fazal Qadir Mandokhail, Wali Muhammad Noorzai, Rehmat Saleh Baloch, and Safia Bibi, joined by Opposition Leader Younis Aziz Zehri. Noorzai dismissed the department’s justification of vacant posts as unacceptable, labeling the waste of nearly 30% of allocated funds as a serious offense. Mandokhail vowed that those responsible would face accountability.

Chairman Tareen noted that a 2021 inquiry ordered by the PAC was never conducted and cautioned that continued negligence would prompt referral to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The committee also resolved to instruct the chief secretary to enforce strict disciplinary measures against any secretary failing to return over 5% of unspent funds to the finance department.

The committee was astounded by the magnitude of arrears: Balochistan landlords owe Qesco Rs500 billion, while government departments owe Rs54 billion. Yet, despite these massive unpaid dues, electricity supply outside Quetta remains restricted to just three to four hours daily, a stark testament to what lawmakers called systemic mismanagement.