$3m ADB grant meant for 2022 flood victims diverted to Turkiye, Syria, PAC told

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was Tuesday told that a grant of $3 million received from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the flood victims of Pakistan was diverted for the rehabilitation of quake victims of Turkiye and Syria.

The committee, chaired by Junaid Akbar Khan, examined the audit paras of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Ministry of Communications for the financial years of 2022-23 and 2023-24.

According to the audit brief, the Rs552.599 million grant for purchase of items for the flood victims was diverted towards the rehabilitation of victims of Turkiye and Syria. As per Schedule-1 of Grant Agreement entered between the ADB and the Government of Pakistan, “the project consists of activities relating to the provision of life-preserving services for the communities affected by the monsoon flood 2022 disaster”.

The grant agreement for $3,000,000 was signed on 16.09.2022 for emergency response against the flood 2022 in Pakistan. The NDMA procured winterized tents and blankets out of the ADB grant during the Financial Year 2022-23 for the flood affected people of Pakistan.

During audit of NDMA for the Financial Year 2022-23, it was observed that in contravention of provisions of the grant agreement and the stated purposes, the winterized tents and blankets procured out of the ADB grant for the flood victims of Pakistan were dispatched to Turkey and Syria. The grant was specifically meant provision of life preserving services for the communities affected by the monsoon flood 2022; therefore, the utilization of grant for other purposes was unjustified, depriving the flood victims.

The management replied that the relief items (tents, blankets) procured out of the ADB grant had to be diverted to the earthquake affected population of Turkiye/Syria due to very tight timeline of relief operation given by the prime minister and had also been recouped/re-stocked for the purpose grant was made. In a DAC dated 26.02.2025, it was apprised to DAC that NDMA dispatched relief items to catastrophic struck areas people on PM’s directives so there was no issue of unauthorized issuance of flood relief items. The committee has sought a report on this issue within a month.