Pakistan is constantly in the news due to economic crisis, IMF loan and cut in government expenditure. In such an environment, the new record regarding the salary received on top constitutional and government posts of the country has presented an interesting picture. According to records, the annual salary of the current Auditor General of Pakistan, Maqbool Ahmed Gondal, is Pakistani Rupees 97,68,240. That means he gets Rs 8.14 lakh every month (Basic salary Rs 7.72 lakh, other allowances are separate). This salary is much higher than the salary of Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Although, the fixed salary of the President of Pakistan is more than this, but President Asif Ali Zardari has decided not to take his salary citing the poor economic condition of the country. In such a situation, the Auditor General is regularly seen at the top among the highest paid government officials.
According to the official salary records revealed, the monthly basic salary of the Auditor General of Pakistan is Pakistani Rupees 7,72,780. By adding various allowances, this amount reaches to Rs 8,14,020 per month. This salary on annual basis is Rs 97,68,240. Presently Maqbool Ahmed Gondal is working on this post. The Auditor General of Pakistan is a constitutional post responsible for auditing government expenditure and ensuring financial accountability to the Parliament. Therefore it is counted among the most important constitutional offices of the country.
What is the job of Auditor General?
The job of the Auditor General is not just to examine government accounts. This office audits the expenses of the central government, ministries, government companies and public institutions. Apart from this, it also checks whether the money collected from tax is used as per the rules or not. The audit report is presented in Parliament, on the basis of which replies are sought from government departments.
Why doesn’t the President take salary?
In March 2024, President Asif Ali Zardari had announced that he would not take the presidential salary during his tenure. The President’s Secretariat had said that in view of the economic challenges of the country, they have decided not to put additional burden on the government exchequer. He said that this step has been taken to give the message of financial discipline and thrift.
Discussion increased amid economic crisis
Pakistan has been struggling with challenges like inflation, lack of foreign exchange reserves and IMF program for a long time. At such times, there is often public debate regarding the salaries of government officials. This issue has once again become a topic of discussion after the President forgoing his salary and on the other hand, the figures of high salary of the Auditor General came out. However, it is also important to keep in mind that the salary of the Auditor General is decided under the constitutional system and service rules and its objective is to maintain the autonomy of this independent constitutional institution.
Leave a Reply