ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar announced that he would personally follow up on the Rs1.24 billion embezzlement case involving the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday.
Tarar made this commitment in response to a question raised by Senator Sarmad Ali, who inquired why an FIR had not been lodged despite more than ten months passing since the exposure of the Rs1.24 billion scam.
Minister Tarar explained that the Managing Director of APP, Muhammad Asim Khichi, had uncovered the misappropriation of Rs1.24 billion involving provident fund (PF) and employee-related expenses (ERE). He assured the committee that he would personally pursue the case and ensure the registration of an FIR against those responsible.
The committee was further informed that the amount involved in the corruption case had been endorsed in the Commercial Audit Report 2023-24 and 2025-26. Additionally, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to initiate legal action to recover the embezzled funds.
The meeting was chaired by Senator Barrister Ali Zafar and attended by Senators Irfan Siddiqui, Pervaiz Rashid, Jan Mohammad Belaidi, Syed Waqar Mehdi, and senior officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, including Secretary Ambreen Jan and Additional Secretary Ashfaq Khalil.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi expressed concern over the delay in registering the case, particularly since the APP administration had already submitted documentary evidence to the FIA. He announced that he would raise the matter in the Senate.
