The Pakistan government has finally appointed a retired bureaucrat Javaid Jehangir, a former grade-22 officer of the Pakistan Audit and Accounts Services (PAAS), full-time Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) — a constitutional post that remained vacant for about five months.
Mr Jehangir had attained the age of superannuation in November last year and may have to enjoy a full four-year term as AGP unless challenged through a tedious legal process.
“In exercise of the powers conferred on him under Article 168(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President has been pleased to appoint Mr Javaid Jehangir to be the AGP with effect from the date he enters upon that office,” said the ministry’s notification.
It was also highlighted in the media that the choice candidate, Mr Jehangir, had a charge-sheet to his record — allegations of financial irregularities as member finance of the Capital Development Authority — although he was not proceeded against.
The record also showed that the then-AGP had ignored the Establishment Division’s advice to proceed with the investigations and instead facilitated Mr Jehangir’s promotion to grade-22 before retirement. As a consequence of the controversy, the government appointed two acting AGPs — first Haq Nawaz for about 15 days and then Imran Iqbal for about 60 days.
Article 168 requires that there should “be an Auditor General of Pakistan, who shall be appointed by the President. Before entering upon the office, the AGP shall make before the Chief Justice of Pakistan oath in the form set out in the Third Schedule”.
Under the same article, the AGP has a term of four years unless he sooner resigns or is removed from office through the Supreme Judicial Council or attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
The AGP is the keeper of the accounts of the federation and the provinces as well as of any authority or body established by the federation or a province.