Advisor suggests nomination of Maqbool Gondal for Attorney General Position
New Auditor-General of Pakistan Appointment Confirmed
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has recommended the appointment of Maqbool Ahmad Gondal (PAAS BS-22) as the new Auditor-General of Pakistan (AGP), according to top official sources. The current AGP, Muhammad Ajmal Gondal, is set to complete his term next month.
The AGP holds a crucial position in Pakistan's administrative structure, with wide-ranging authority to audit and scrutinize government accounts. The AGP's responsibilities and powers revolve primarily around ensuring accountability in public financial management.
Appointed under Article 168(1) of the Constitution, the AGP serves a four-year term and has the constitutional mandate and power to audit and certify government accounts, including those of federal, provincial, and public sector entities. The AGP's powers extend to examining and certifying all expenditures of the government, which involves comprehensive financial oversight and reporting.
The AGP's role is critical in examining government financial operations and related procedures to ensure proper compliance with laws and regulations. The AGP's scrutiny can impact decisions like deductions from federal consolidated funds, which must be certified by the AGP.
Though the AGP works somewhat independently, the appointment involves recommendations from the incumbent AGP and has influence from the Finance Ministry, which can create potential conflicts of interest given the AGP’s audit mandate over the Ministry.
Maqbool Ahmad Gondal, the current Controller General of Accounts (CGA), will take over as AGP when the incumbent's term ends. The AGP's term is fixed for five years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
The AGP audits all transactions of the Federation and of the Provinces relating to Public Accounts, including trading, manufacturing, profit and loss accounts, and balance sheets of Federal or Provincial departments. The AGP ascertains whether the shown expenditures were legally available and applicable to the service or purpose they were applied or charged.
The appointment of Maqbool Ahmad Gondal as AGP is a significant decision in Pakistan's governmental structure, ensuring continued transparency and accountability in public financial management. The exact appointment process and reasons for the recommendation remain undisclosed.
- The confirmation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recommendation for the appointment of Maqbool Ahmad Gondal signifies a critical shift in Pakistan's policy-and-legislation, as he is set to take over as the new Auditor-General of Pakistan (AGP).
- Given the US's interest in global politics and general-news, the appointment of the new AGP, with his wide-ranging authority to audit and scrutinize government accounts, will be closely watched, as it plays a crucial role in ensuring accountability in public financial management.
- With PTI, the Pakistani political party, often voicing concerns over accountability and transparency in the government, the appointment of Maqbool Ahmad Gondal as the AGP may impact the party's standpoint and their future policy-and-legislation decisions.
