Rs1.24 Billion Corruption Scam Uncovered in APP

APP

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has pledged to personally pursue the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with a Rs1.24 billion corruption scam unearthed in the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).

The assurance came during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting, held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Senator Barrister Ali Zafar.

Responding to a question raised by Senator Sarmad Ali regarding the lack of legal action despite the passage of more than ten months since the scandal’s exposure, Minister Tarar confirmed that the case involved large-scale misappropriation of funds allocated for APP employees’ provident fund (PF) and employee-related expenses (ERE).

He informed the committee that the scam had been exposed by APP Managing Director Muhammad Asim Khichi, and the embezzlement figure—Rs1.24 billion—had been officially verified in the Commercial Audit Reports for 2023-24 and 2025-26.

“The matter is serious and I will take it up personally. There will be no compromise on accountability,” said Minister Tarar, adding that all necessary steps would be taken to ensure that those involved are brought to justice.

The committee was further informed that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has already directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to initiate legal proceedings for the recovery of the embezzled amount. Despite this, an FIR has not yet been registered.

The meeting was attended by Senators Irfan Siddiqui, Pervaiz Rashid, Jan Mohammad Belaidi, Syed Waqar Mehdi, and senior officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, including Secretary Ambreen Jan and Additional Secretary Ashfaq Khalil.

Speaking to the media after the session, Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi expressed serious concern over the delay in lodging the case. “It is unacceptable that even after the provision of documentary evidence to the FIA by the APP administration, there has been no formal registration of the case,” he said. “I will be raising this issue on the Senate floor.”

The committee emphasized the need for urgent action to restore public trust and ensure transparency in state-run media organizations.