ISLAMABAD: Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) Buland Akhtar Rana, who is facing allegations of an unauthorised increase in his salary and misuse of official vehicles, wants to be heard by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and not by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly.

At a meeting of the PAC on Wednesday, its members were surprised when it was suggested that the case of the AGP should be sent to the SJC, which under the constitution was a legal forum to deal with it.

The meeting was held at the parliament house and presided over by PAC Chairman Syed Khursheed Shah, the leader of opposition in the National Assembly.

Though the issue was not on the meeting agenda, Additional Auditor General Khadam Hussain, who is also principal ac-counting officer of the AGP office, told the committee that since an investigation into the allegations were casting aspersions on the office of the AGP, the matter should be forwarded to the SJC for a decision.

`Because of an inquiry (into the allegations) recommended by the PAC, working of the AGP office is in mess. Officials are feeling demoralised and finding themselves unable to perform their duties,` he said.

`We are told that a sub-committee of the PAC is conducting an in-camera meeting but reports about its proceedings appear in newspapers next day,` Mr Hussain said.

The two-member sub-committee has this week finalised a report into the alleged misuse of authority by Mr Rana in accruing additional monetary benefits.

Being a constitutional position holder, Mr Rana can be removed from his office only by invoking Article 209 of the Consti-tution through the SJC.

After listening to Mr Hussain, Mr Shah said the committee wanted to offer yet another opportunity of personal hearing to the AGP as in the past he had refused to appear before the sub-committee.

`Since, the AGP wants his case to be put before the SJC, the committee will see how to go about this issue,` he said.

When asked, a member of the PAC said the sub-committee in its report had held Mr Rana responsible for committing violations of rules by awarding himself illegal monetary benefits. The relevant departments, including the ministry of finance, have confirmed it.

He said Mr Rana might be avoiding the findings and recommendations of the subcommittee and wanted to fight his case at the SJC level. Eventually, he said, the case had to go to the SJC, therefore, Mr Rana must have decided to face it there instead of appearing in a PAC meeting.