A recent audit report by the Auditor General of Pakistan has revealed significant irregularities in recruitment at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), leading to a loss of over Rs45 million to the national exchequer.

The AGP's annual audit report for 2023-24 regarding the telecommunication sector has exposed that the PTA engaged in illegal recruitment during the financial year 2022-23, including the hiring of one IT officer and two assistant directors at its headquarters without corresponding positions.

These recruitments were made despite the lack of relevant posts, contravening established service rules.

The audit highlights that the PTA paid Rs45.9 million in salaries and allowances in violation of regulations. Furthermore, the recruitment process did not adhere to advertised criteria. The report also says that most of the recruitments made in the PTA did not follow the advertised criteria.

The PTA told the authorities that its chairman had the authority to change the recruitment criteria. However, the audit authorities rejected the reply as unsatisfactory. They said the PTA made the recruitments against the seats that were not even available.

Moreover, the PTA ignored directives to review the recruitment practices and submit a corrective report within a month, and no progress report has been provided to date. The audit authorities have directed the PTA to hold an inquiry to identify those responsible for these violations.

This situation underscores serious governance issues within PTA and raises concerns about compliance with recruitment standards and financial management in public sector organizations. The investigation aims to hold accountable those responsible for these financial discrepancies and restore proper protocol in future recruitment processes.