New auditor general takes oath, at last
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on Saturday, administered oath to Akhtar Buland Rana as new Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), against whom he had expressed reservations.
Supreme Court (SC) Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain later on issued a statement regarding oath taken by the new AGP.
According to the statement, the president had issued a notification for the appointment of Muhammad Akhtar Buland Rana as AGP on Aug 23, and the CJP in performance of administrative function under Article 168 (2) of the constitution is required to administer the oath.
It states, “The CJ has sent a letter to the president based on reports of the ISI, FIA and comments received from the former AGP in response to a notice issued on an anonymous application received in the Human Rights Cell of the Supreme Court.”
The statement said according to the letter written by CJ to the president of Pakistan the removal of AG was only possible by adhering to the procedure prescribed for the removal of judges of the superior courts before the Supreme Judicial Council in terms of Article 209 of the constitution.
Being the CJ and Supreme Judicial Council chairman, while discharging his duties and functions, the CJP considered it necessary to bring it to the notice of a competent authority the credentials of Akhtar Buland Rana, which, he believed, perhaps were not in the knowledge of the office, which processed Akhtar’s case.
“However, if, after having taken into consideration the above noted facts, the competent authority still desires that he should be administered the oath, I may be informed accordingly,” the CJP wrote in his letter.
The registrar said that in response to the president along with communication from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the CJ, in discharge of administrative function, without prejudice to anyone and subject to all just exceptions, had administered the oath.
The statements said that contents of the letters mentioned that allegations against Rana were not proved and he was the most appropriate person for the post as a senior officer.
Later talking to media persons at the SC building, AG Akhtar Buland Rana said that he was willing to face any legal proceedings while referring to the statement linking the oath to ‘all just exceptions’.
He said that he had already been exonerated from sexually assaulting a colleague. Defending his position, he said that his dual nationality was not an obstruction in becoming the AG. He maintained that he was the citizen of Pakistan first and would remain loyal to it, adding there should be no doubt about it.
He said that if the government would have reservations against him then he would give explanation to the concerned authorities.
Source: Daily Times
Date:8/28/2011
” 
” 
” 
” 
