The report states that recruitments were made without the existence of relevant positions, violating established service rules.
A recent audit report by the Auditor General of Pakistan has uncovered significant irregularities in recruitment practices at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), resulting in a loss of over Rs 45 million to the national treasury.
The AGP’s annual audit report for 2023-24, focused on the telecommunications sector, revealed that the PTA engaged in illegal hiring during the financial year 2022-23. This included the recruitment of one IT officer and two assistant directors at its headquarters, despite the absence of corresponding positions.
These hires were made in violation of established service rules, as there were no relevant posts available. The audit found that the PTA disbursed Rs 45.9 million in salaries and allowances contrary to regulations, and that the recruitment process failed to meet advertised criteria. Additionally, many of the PTA’s other recruitments did not comply with the specified standards.
While the PTA claimed that its chairman had the authority to alter recruitment criteria, the audit authorities deemed this response unsatisfactory, pointing out that the hires were made against nonexistent positions.
Furthermore, the PTA disregarded directives to reassess its recruitment practices and to submit a corrective report within a month, with no progress report provided to date. The audit authorities have instructed the PTA to conduct an inquiry to identify those responsible for these violations.
This situation highlights serious governance issues within the PTA and raises concerns about compliance with recruitment standards and financial management in public sector organizations. The investigation seeks to hold accountable those responsible for these financial discrepancies and to restore proper protocols in future recruitment processes.
