The HEC Laptop scheme has once again come under the spotlight as the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has reported that the Higher Education Commission purchase of costly laptops caused a loss of Rs. 130 million to the national exchequer during fiscal year 2024-25.
The audit, released on Tuesday uncovered widespread financial irregularities in government spending. It noted that grants worth Rs 513 billion were issued without parliamentary approval while another Rs. 265 billion allocated to 175 federal departments went unused. In addition, Rs. 212 billion from 12 grants lapsed because they were not returned on time.
The report further revealed that several ministries sought Rs. 24 billion in supplementary grants without proper scrutiny and overspent another Rs. 12 billion beyond their sanctioned limits.
Another key observation was that the Office of the Attorney General of Pakistan is being run as a sub-office of the Law Ministry instead of functioning as an independent constitutional body, raising concerns about its autonomy.
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The AGP also pointed out that federal and provincial entities collectively owe Rs. 214 billion in wheat-related dues, which remain unsettled.
The HEC Laptop scheme case, coupled with other irregularities highlights the scale of financial mismanagement under review.
