ISLAMABAD: The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) on Sunday constituted a four-member team to conduct a forensic audit of major loss-making State-Owned Entities (SOEs) under orders issued by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.
Responding to a letter issued by the Ministry of Finance asking whether the AGP had sufficient expertise to carry out a forensic audit of the entities, the AGP’s office affirmed that it had the required experience and expertise of forensic auditing and for this purpose, a team had also been formed, an official of AGP office told APP.
The forensic audit team would be led by a BS-19 officer, Karachi DG Audit Saqib Bashir, with members including Deputy Director Attique Ur Rahman, Audit Officer Nadeem Masood, and Assistant Audit Officer Saqib Hussain.
It may be mentioned here that the premier, in a recent cabinet meeting, had instructed the concerned authorities to make arrangements for conducting a forensic audit of SOEs which had undergone an audit out for more than four years.
Under the premier’s instructions, the Cabinet Committee on State Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs) had asked the authorities to submit details on availability of sufficient forensic audit expertise in the AGP, estimated cost in case of outsourcing, time duration and proposed list of loss-making entities for a forensic audit.
However, the committee presided over by Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, suggested that the AGP needed to declare whether had forensic audit expertise or required outsourcing before initiating the forensic audit.
The committee had also advised that line ministries and divisions be consulted for the selection of companies.
