Audit Finds 1,000+ Laptops Missing in PM’s Laptop Scheme

An audit has exposed serious irregularities in the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme (Phase-II), with more than 1,000 laptops reported missing. The revelation came during a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) subcommittee, raising concerns over accountability and misuse of public funds.

According to audit officials, a total of 1,011 laptops were either stolen or remain untraceable. Of these, 784 laptops have been recovered, but 227 are still missing, causing a financial loss of nearly Rs. 12 million to the national exchequer.

Despite the scale of the incident, officials confirmed that no punitive action has been taken so far against those responsible. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) also addressed the issue, clarifying that initial reports cited 179 laptops as unaccounted for, but the number has since been revised down to 143. Investigations are still ongoing, particularly in Karachi and at Government Sadiq College Women’s University, Bahawalpur.

The PAC has directed concerned authorities to trace and recover the missing laptops within one month. It also warned that if recovery efforts fail, financial losses will be recovered from officials found negligent or guilty of mishandling the scheme.

Launched with the aim of improving digital access for students across Pakistan, the laptop scheme has once again come under scrutiny—not for its benefits, but for serious lapses in transparency and governance.

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