Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established a fact-finding committee to investigate several allegations against employees of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). These allegations include the improper use of funds from the World Bank-funded E-Pak Acquisition & Disposal System (EPADS) project, and other accusations related to embezzlement, misuse of authority, and corruption within PPRA.
The committee, led by Brig (R) Muzaffar Ali Ranjha, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission (PMIC), includes members from the PMIC, Commerce Division, Cabinet Division, Finance Division, and PPRA’s Legal Department. The committee’s mandate covers probing all aspects of the allegations, particularly focusing on the honorariums disbursed to PPRA employees from the fiscal years 2020-21 to 2023-24. The committee is required to report its findings and recommendations to the Prime Minister within one week.
This action follows a report by *The News* which highlighted concerns over the use of millions of rupees from a World Bank loan to pay honorariums to PPRA officials. The report also pointed to a broader issue of alleged corruption within the PPRA, which has reportedly resulted in significant financial losses for the government.
Despite an existing internal investigation initiated by the Managing Director of PPRA, the Prime Minister’s Office has opted for an independent probe through the PMIC to ensure transparency and accountability. The internal strife within PPRA, particularly between those who received honorariums and those who did not, is believed to have prompted the escalation of these issues to the Prime Minister’s Office.
