PAC Flags Rs 24M Excess Staffing at COMSATS, Orders Fresh Inquiry Into Irregular Rs 24.6M Laptop Purchase
Nadeem Tanoli
ISLAMABAD – COMSATS University has come under intense Public Accounts Committee (PAC) scrutiny for major financial irregularities, including unauthorized staffing costs of Rs 24.039 million and a non-competitive procurement of 1,000 laptops worth Rs 24.633 million.
Audit findings for 2013–14 revealed that COMSATS Lahore campus appointed 70 employees across various cadres beyond the board-approved sanctioned strength, resulting in millions of rupees in excess salary payments. The PAC deemed the hiring a clear violation of established rules and directed the university to address the matter in line with government regulations.
In a separate case, the PAC expressed “serious concerns” over the procurement of 1,000 Haier laptops without open competition, in breach of public procurement rules. The audit further disclosed that COMSATS made an irregular payment of Rs 1.378 million to consultant firm M/s BIL Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd., despite there being no provision for such services in the regulations. The committee rejected the university’s internal inquiry and ordered a de novo investigation, requiring the inclusion of an external member, with immediate recovery of the consultant’s fee.
The PAC also reviewed the subsidized allotment of residential plots in Lahore’s Dream Gardens to COMSATS employees, valued at Rs 13.559 million. While the university’s Senate later granted a one-time ex-post facto approval, the PAC was informed that Rs 380,250 remains tied up in court cases and a further Rs 2.449 million is deemed unrecoverable due to the death of the concerned employees. The committee instructed the university to actively pursue recoveries and initiate a formal waiver process for the unrecoverable amount.
The PAC’s directives underscore its focus on enforcing procurement rules, curbing unauthorized expenditures, and ensuring public funds in the higher education sector are protected from misuse.
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COMSATS Faces PAC Probe Over Financial Irregularities – Peak Point
