Buland Akhtar Rana
Encyclopedia
Buland Akhtar Rana is the newly appointed Auditor General of Pakistan
, as of August 2011 under the orders of President Asif Ali Zardari
. The previous auditor-general was Tanvir Ali Agha, who had resigned amid a controversy on whether he was able continue to hold office for another four months; subsequently, Aneece Marghub was appointed as the acting auditor-general. Rana belongs to Multan
and is affiliated with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party
. He is regarded to be a family friend of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani
and was promoted to the rank of a grade 22 officer, thereby making him eligible for receiving the post and also making him the senior most official of the audit and accounts group. Previously, he has served as the acting secretary of the Human Rights Division and also served as deputy auditor-general.
His appointment was regarded as controversial, coming amid a time when the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was all set to take up the government’s audit reports involving alleged financial irregularities and embezzlement of billions of rupees
. The opposition party Pakistan Muslim League (N)
condemned his promotion and called it a propagation of "cronyism" culture by the government.
The chairman of PAC also threatened to resign over what he saw the government proceeding to appoint its "favourite" and "handpicked" officer in order to cover up government corruption.
In an article, Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, a noted Pakistani political commentator, claimed that Rana was appointed "mainly because he is a friend of the prime minister and from his home town of Multan." Siddiqa also said that Rana had previously been charged for sexual harassment, the inquiry of which was quashed. He holds dual Canadian
citizenship.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
, wrote a letter to President Asif Ali Zardari in connection with appointment of Buland Akhtar Rana as Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) pointing out 7 allegations of corruption and irregularities against him. Due to the strong affiliation of Rana with Pakistan Peoples Party
's current leadership and being a family friend of the prime minister, his appointment is being looked upon as biased and favored. However, President Zardari later replied in a letter to the CJP in which he cleared all allegations made against Rana. Hence, the appointment was accepted by the CJP.
Auditor General of Pakistan
The Auditor General of Pakistan or Auditor General is an government organization and the prime institution in the country for ensuring public accountability and fiscal transparency in governmental operations...
, as of August 2011 under the orders of President Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
. The previous auditor-general was Tanvir Ali Agha, who had resigned amid a controversy on whether he was able continue to hold office for another four months; subsequently, Aneece Marghub was appointed as the acting auditor-general. Rana belongs to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
and is affiliated with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
. He is regarded to be a family friend of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani
Yousaf Raza Gillani
Yousuf Raza Gilani is the current prime minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He was nominated as Prime Minister by the PPP, with the support of its coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim League , Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Muttahida Qaumi Movement, on 22 March 2008...
and was promoted to the rank of a grade 22 officer, thereby making him eligible for receiving the post and also making him the senior most official of the audit and accounts group. Previously, he has served as the acting secretary of the Human Rights Division and also served as deputy auditor-general.
His appointment was regarded as controversial, coming amid a time when the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was all set to take up the government’s audit reports involving alleged financial irregularities and embezzlement of billions of rupees
Pakistani rupee
The rupee is the currency of Pakistan. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the State Bank of Pakistan, the central bank of the country. The most commonly used symbol for the rupee is Rs, used on receipts when purchasing goods and services. In Pakistan, the rupee is referred to as the...
. The opposition party Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Pakistan Muslim League (N)
The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...
condemned his promotion and called it a propagation of "cronyism" culture by the government.
The chairman of PAC also threatened to resign over what he saw the government proceeding to appoint its "favourite" and "handpicked" officer in order to cover up government corruption.
In an article, Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, a noted Pakistani political commentator, claimed that Rana was appointed "mainly because he is a friend of the prime minister and from his home town of Multan." Siddiqa also said that Rana had previously been charged for sexual harassment, the inquiry of which was quashed. He holds dual Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
citizenship.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is the current Chief Justice of Pakistan.He became chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court in 2005 and soon became not only a central figure in the nation's political struggles but an icon to the country's legal profession and others campaigning for the rule of law...
, wrote a letter to President Asif Ali Zardari in connection with appointment of Buland Akhtar Rana as Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) pointing out 7 allegations of corruption and irregularities against him. Due to the strong affiliation of Rana with Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
's current leadership and being a family friend of the prime minister, his appointment is being looked upon as biased and favored. However, President Zardari later replied in a letter to the CJP in which he cleared all allegations made against Rana. Hence, the appointment was accepted by the CJP.