Auditor General Flags Foreign Ministry Over Fee Hikes And Courier Deal

Auditor General Flags Foreign Ministry Over Fee Hikes And Courier Deals

The Auditor General of Pakistan has criticized the Foreign Ministry for increasing Apostille fees and outsourcing courier services without proper approval or open tenders.

NationPulse Desk

Nov 1, 2026 · 3:01 PM 2 min read

Key takeaways

The Auditor General of Pakistan flagged irregularities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Apostille fee increases and courier service outsourcing.

Personal document fees rose from Rs. 500 to Rs. 3,000, legal fees from Rs. 700 to Rs. 4,500, and commercial fees from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 12,000.

Five courier companies were engaged without open competitive bidding between May 17, 2024.

The Departmental Accounts Committee directed the ministry to conduct a fact-finding inquiry and issue tenders.

Foreign Ministry Audit Findings

The Auditor General of Pakistan flagged irregularities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs due to a massive increase in Apostille certification fees and the outsourcing of courier services to private firms without open tenders, according to the audit report 2025-26 for the financial year 2024-25 released on July 8, 2024.

Fee Increases

The audit revealed that personal document fees rose from Rs. 500 to Rs. 3,000, legal documents increased from Rs. 700 to Rs. 4,500, and commercial documents jumped from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 12,000.

Audit Objections

The Auditor General cited Rule 18 of the Financial Management and Powers of Principal Accounting Officers Regulations 2021, requiring Finance Division consultation. The ministry maintained that setting fees fell under its authority per the Apostille Act 2024.

Impact On Public

Citizens and businesses face higher costs for documents needed for study, work, or immigration, with personal document fees rising by Rs. 2,500, legal documents by Rs. 3,800, and commercial documents by Rs. 9,000.

Courier Contracts

The audit questioned the appointment of five courier companies, TCS, Leopards, Gerry's, M&P, and Excellent Courier Services, starting May 17, 2024, without open competitive bidding under Rule 20 of the Public Procurement Rules.

Concerns Over Excellent Courier Services

The audit noted that Excellent Courier Services lacked an established profile, was not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan or tax systems, and operated only three branches.