ISLAMABAD: The Auditor General of Pakistan on Tuesday snubbed a sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly and did not attend its meeting called to explain his position over salary and other perks the AG enjoyed allegedly in violation of prescribed government rules.

A two-member sub-committee of the PAC had asked the AGP, Buland Akhtar Rana, to explain his stance over the controversy surrounding his salary increase and use of official cars allegedly in violation of prescribed government rules. However, he abstained from the meeting and even did not bother to convey the cause of his absence.

The committee, after having received input from ministries of law and finance, establishment and cabinet divisions, Controller General of Accounts and Accountant General of Pakistan Revenues over the disputed payment to Mr Rana from the national exchequer, had invited Mr Buland Akhtar to answer objections raised by these departments about his salary and other perks.

Expressing its displeasure over unexplained absence of the AGP, the two-member committee, led by Junaid Anwar Chaudhry of the PML-N and Dr Arif Alvi of the PTI, directed the Principal Accounting Officer of the AGP Office, an additional auditor general, who also had abstained from the meeting, to appear in the next meeting of the committee.

Talking to Dawn, a member of the committee said: “We have found certain clear discrepancies in the salary of the AGP, notably his misuse of the government’s monetisation policy and therefore has called him for clarification.”

The issue is not of small or big discrepancy, the committee member said, but the matter was of alleged involvement of the AGP Office whose basic job was to carry out financial audit of all public sector organisations both at federal and provincial levels.

“If a prayer leader gets caught in some immoral activity, his followers will not forgive him regardless of the severity of the crime, it is just like that,” said the committee member, adding: “We are facing the same situation because every government department the committee has contacted for input over the AGP issue, adverse remarks have been received.”

Since the AGP has now refused to appear before the committee, the member said, the only option left with the committee was to summon him.

“Being a constitutional position holder, we have sought a legal opinion from the law ministry if a parliamentary committee can issue a summon order for the auditor general.”

When asked if the committee’s proceedings were part of the reported government’s plan to prepare a reference for his removal from the position, the member said: “Our only mandate is to investigate the controversy surrounding the AGP’s salary and make recommendations for the main committee.”

Mr Rana holds a constitutional post and therefore he can only be removed by invoking Article 209 of the Constitution through the Supreme Judicial Council.