WAPDA buys 78 luxury cars worth Rs740mn

Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources criticized the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) for purchasing 78 luxury vehicles worth Rs740 million, despite the federal austerity policy that prohibits such expenditures.

During the meeting, chaired by Senator Shahadat Awan, concerns were raised about the slow progress in investigating several financial irregularities, some of which have been outstanding for up to four decades.

The committee chairman highlighted that 187 audit issues related to WAPDA remained unresolved, with some cases lacking official documentation. Additionally, a Rs29 billion discrepancy had yet to be investigated by the Ministry of Water Resources.

The committee was informed that, out of 56 inquiries recommended by the Public Accounts Committee, 43 had been completed, 10 were ongoing, and three were under investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Furthermore, 381 inquiries were initiated by the Departmental Accounts Committee, with 308 completed and 67 still pending. The committee instructed the ministry to expedite all pending inquiries within six months and to provide details of cases currently in court, as well as identify individuals held accountable for any violations.