By Zulfiqar Ali (Kashmir Investigation Team)
MUZAFFARABAD: The Auditor General’s audit report, released for the Fiscal Year 2024-25, has revealed that the Azad government incurred a loss of Rs 43.04 million due to the non-use of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Council Lodges in recent years.
The audit, conducted between July 2018 and June 2021, revealed that despite the completion of lodges, the organization incurred heavy expenses on electricity, gas, and accommodation rental.
The audit report states that the AJK Council lodges constructed under the management of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council Secretariat were not used despite completion, while payments were being made continuously towards electricity and gas bills in the building.
Along with this, huge amounts of money were also being paid to the employees of the council for separate rented accommodation.
According to the report, on the one hand, the building remained vacant, and on the other hand, the electricity and gas bills were being paid regularly for the same building. Also, according to the report, due to non-allotment of flats, the employees stayed in rented houses, the expenses of which had to be borne by the government.
The report said that if these flats were allotted to the concerned employees, this loss could have been avoided.
According to the audit report, the total expenditure incurred on electricity, gas, and rent of residences in these lodges is Rs 43.04 million. It stated that this matter was brought to the notice of the concerned department twice through audit inspection reports in December 2020 and February 2022, but no response was received.
According to the report, in August 2024, the head of the department was also informed in writing through an advance paragraph for action, but no response was given on this either, nor was a meeting of the departmental audit committee convened.
The audit report suggested to the government that those responsible for the loss of Rs 43.04 million should be identified and disciplinary action should be taken against them.
It was also suggested that the lodges’ flats should be allotted to the employees immediately, and the effective and permanent use of the building should be ensured to avoid further financial loss.
The report stated that under Article 51-A of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Azad Kashmir, all the assets and employees of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council Secretariat were to be transferred to the Government of Azad Kashmir.
However, on September 18, 2018, a notification was issued by the Government of Pakistan, under which a committee was constituted to block this constitutional implementation.
As a result, according to the report, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council Secretariat has been existing as an ineffective, inactive, and constitutionally unclear institution since July 2018.
The audit report stated that, according to the budget 2023-24, the Council Secretariat has 91 gazetted employees, 6 members of the Council Board, 200 non-gazetted employees, 15 officers and 4 officials, who were posted on secondment from various departments, and 78 contingent staff.
All these employees continued to receive regular salaries; however, the number of these employees was later reduced.
This is evident from the fact that, as per the notification dated January 29, 2024, of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan, 44 employees, including 35 permanent and 9 on deputation, were retained by the federal government.
While the remaining 218 employees — 140 permanent, 77 contingent, and 1 on a contract basis — have been handed over to the AJK government.
Two more notifications stated that the Council’s investment amount, which was Rs 815.975 million, has been transferred to the AJK government along with profits.
Similarly, the powers related to allotment, maintenance, and utilities of the AJK Council Lodges located in Islamabad (except for three specific three-bed flats) have also been transferred to the AJK government.
In June 2018, the Azad Kashmir government, through the 13th Constitutional Amendment, withdrew administrative, legislative, and financial powers from the Council, resulting in the Inland Revenue Department, Accountant General’s Office, Audit Funds, and the Control of the Kashmir Council was transferred to the AJK government, and the Development Wing of the Council Secretariat was also abolished.
The members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council said that referring to the PC-I of the Council Lodges, it was stated that only elected members and employees of the Council are allowed to reside there, but three flats have been reserved for the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Minister, and the Secretary for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan.
They said this is a violation of the law because all three have federal government residences within a kilometer, and according to the law, no public official can have two official residences at the same time.
