The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has taken notice of bureaucrats purchasing properties in Portugal and ordered the Establishment Division and Interior Ministry to provide a complete list of such officers. The committee has also raised concerns over the deployment of staff to Saudi Arabia during the Hajj season and the closure of Utility Stores in Pakistan.
Chaired by Junaid Akbar, the PAC meeting expressed alarm over reports of senior government officers owning properties in Portugal. Members demanded transparency and directed the departments concerned to submit detailed records of these bureaucrats.
On Aug 6, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif levelled serious allegations against Pakistan’s bureaucracy, claiming that more than half of them had purchased properties in Portugal and were preparing to acquire foreign citizenship with money allegedly earned through corruption. In a post on social media platform X, the minister accused retired bureaucrats of spending billions of rupees and living a luxurious, peaceful retirement abroad, away from any scrutiny.
Asif revealed that a top bureaucrat, known to be close to former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar, allegedly received Rs4 billion in "salami" at his daughters’ wedding before settling into a quiet retirement.