A senior civil judge in Islamabad, Muhammad Shabber Bhatti, on Monday sentenced former auditor general Muhammad Akhtar Buland Rana on two counts for a period of imprisonment totalling 12 months.

Rana was sentenced to serve six months for concealing his Canadian nationality and another six months for unlawfully obtaining five Pakistani passports.

Rana was removed from the office of auditor general in May 2015 by President Mamnoon Hussain.

He had been appointed in Aug 2011 under the orders of then president Asif Ali Zardari.

Rana, who hails from Multan, is believed to be a friend of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Previously he had worked as acting secretary of the human rights division and as deputy auditor general.

His appointment as auditor general was seen as controversial since it came at a time when the Public Accounts Committee was set to take up the government’s audit reports involving alleged financial irregularities and embezzlement of billions of rupees.