The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the federal government for September 26 on a writ petition challenging the appointment of Akhtar Buland Rana as auditor general of Pakistan.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial issued this order on a petition moved by Advocate Rana Ilmuddin, who contended that Rana should not be made auditor general as serious allegations of corruption had been made against him.
The petitioner said that the federal government had appointed Rana as auditor general because it wanted to cover up acts of corruption. He said Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution barred the appointment of such a person to a constitutional post. He said on August 27, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had written to President Asif Ali Zardari expressing this concern over Rana’s appointment.
According to the letter, the charges against Rana include that he sexually assaulted a subordinate, made a false accusation about former auditor general Tanveer Agha before the Supreme Judicial Council, obtained Canadian nationality without seeking permission from the government, travelled abroad on three Pakistani passports and two national identity cards, and “most significantly, he never qualified for his promotion to grade 22”, said the petition.
President Asif Ali Zardari had rejected the chief justice’s concern.
The president stated that Rana had been exonerated of the sexual assault charge and his dual nationality was not impediment to his duties.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2011.
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