Musharrafs buddies to head accountability, audit depts.

The Pakistan Government is appointing President Pervez Musharrafs buddies to head the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the office of Auditor General.

Islamabad, July 18 : The Pakistan Government is appointing President Pervez Musharraf's buddies to head the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the office of Auditor General.

Secretary-General Finance Nawid Ahsan has recently taken over as chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and his deputy in the Finance Ministry, Tanvir Ali Agha, is all set to become the Auditor-General of Pakistan.

According to The News, the Musharraf Government has already approved Agha's appointment.

In the country's bureaucratic circle, talks are doing the rounds that by making these appointments, the government is subtly protecting itself from being held accountable.

The most striking point in these appointments is that these persons would scrutinise the financial decisions taken by them.

Another source told the paper that the government was considering the appointment of a retired Supreme Court judge as the NAB chairman, but it was finally decided in Nawid Ahsan's favour.

The NAB and the Audit Department are the two prime accountability institutions of Pakistan. The NAB enjoys extensive authority even to arrest and file a reference against an accused, while the Audit Department is entrusted with the responsibility to highlight irregularities and corruption in the government accounts through regular audits.

ANI