By Arman Yousuf
Islamabad, May 4, 2025: A shocking corruption scandal has come to light at the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), where over Rs25 million were allegedly embezzled from public funds in a span of just five months, Sub News has learned through official documents.
According to sources, PARC Chairman Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali is accused of misusing his authority to disburse large cash awards to handpicked individuals, some reportedly receiving more than their annual salaries. The payments were made without the required approval from the Board of Governors (BoG), a clear violation of organizational rules.
Documents reveal that between December 2024 and April 2025, funds were repeatedly withdrawn in the name of “cash awards.” A one-time disbursement occurred in December, followed by ten separate transactions during February, March, and April 2025, amounting to over Rs20 million. An additional Rs4.9 million was also reportedly extracted from Agricultural Linkage Program (ALP) funds under similar pretenses.
Sources claim these payments were made to individuals closely associated with the chairman, and in some cases, recipients received amounts far beyond their legitimate entitlements.
“There was no project completion or exceptional performance to justify these awards,” a senior insider confirmed, requesting anonymity. “Worse, there is no record of BoG approval for any of these transactions.”
This financial mismanagement is part of a larger pattern, say officials. It is feared that similar irregularities may have occurred over the past three years, potentially costing the national treasury hundreds of millions more.
The issue also surfaced in a recent Public Accounts Committee session, where lawmakers were told that numerous PARC projects remain incomplete due to ongoing inefficiency and lack of oversight.
As of now, there is no confirmation of an internal audit or official inquiry being launched. However, the revelations have prompted calls from transparency advocates and lawmakers for an immediate investigation, recovery of misused funds, and a complete overhaul of financial governance at PARC.
“Institutions like PARC are crucial to national development. Mismanagement at this scale is simply unacceptable,” said a member of the PAC.
