Media Commission: SC rules audit of secret funds

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared that all expenditure from the public exchequer must be audited by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) to avoid irregularities.

The apex court issued its detailed verdict in the media commission case regarding usage of secret funds here on Tuesday. The 20-page verdict was read out by Justice Jawwad S Khwaja.

The court ruled that expenditure from the public exchequer must be made in a transparent manner and each rupee of such expenditure must be audited by the (AGP), to ensure compliance with law.

The SC order declared Rule 37(5) of the General Financial Rules (GFR) of the federal government as unconstitutional.

In its judgment, the apex court clarified that the AGP is obliged to exercise oversight over accounting procedures adopted by the government.

The court also clarified that under Article 171, the AGP’s reports must be shared with the president, governor, the parliament and the provincial assemblies.