The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) in a letter has asked the finance minister not to use ‘rough language’, 24NewsHD reported on Wednesday.

The finance ministry and the AG office have been locking horns since January when the external auditors were assigned to do the former’s audit.

The Wednesday’s letter said that the auditor general is not under Centre’s purview and the finance ministry should avoid using ‘rough’ language.

The AGP is an independent and autonomous organ and the federal law ministry’s clarification is not correct, it said adding that the auditor general is not bound to the premier. 

The AGP reports to the president and the Article 170-2 of the Constitution is inapplicable to the auditor general as it has rules for its internal audit.

An independent and autonomous auditor general of Pakistan can be appointed, the letter said, adding that the finance ministry is not an autonomous body. Externals auditors have never undertook its audit and the Islamabad High Court stayed its audit too.

Also on Wednesday, reports by state-run APP news agency cited an AG office spokesperson as saying the organ strongly believed in accountability without any exception but such an audit has to be conducted by an independent officer as prescribed in the law.

AGP spokesperson Raza Shah said the Section 19-A was inserted into the Auditor General's Ordinance 2001, through Finance Act 2015, requiring the audit of the sanctions accorded by the AG by an independent officer appointed by the president. He also cited the plea in IHC that issued a stay order over the matter.