Mr. Muhammad Ajmal Gondal
21st Auditor-General of Pakistan
(15th September 2021 to 14th September 2025)
A Visionary Reformer –Transforming Accountability into an Enduring Legacy
In the grand chronicle of public institutions,very few leaders rise beyond the bounds of office to embody its highest ideals. Mr. Muhammad Ajmal Gondal, as Pakistan’s 21st Auditor-General, stands among them. His tenure marks a defining period-one where vision met responsibility, integrity faced adversity, and steadfast leadership redefined the contours of public accountability.
Education:
Mr. Ajmal Gondal’s intellectual odyssey began at Oxford, UK, where centuries of scholarship have shaped some of the world’s most discerning minds,though his formative years were spent in Lawrence College, Ghora Gali, where he was School Prefect and holder of College Colours. But he recognized that true wisdom extends beyond the classroom it emerges from the fusion of thought and experience. Complementing his Oxford education with an MBA in Finance and a Master’s in Political Science, he created a rare blend of analytical rigor and philosophical insight.
His pursuit of excellence took him across continents and disciplines:financial programming at the IMF Institute,internal controls under ECOSAI in Tehran, results-based evaluation from University of Washington Graduate School, governance innovation in Singapore, and leadership development at the National School of Public Policy in Lahore. These experiences enriched not only his skillset but his worldview, preparing him for a constitutional office that demands both professional acumen and moral courage.
Professional Experience & Achievements:
Through three decades in the Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service, Mr. Ajmal Gondal's career traced an ascending path of distinction and growing responsibility.
From BS-17 to BS-22,each position he held demanded not merely competence but character,not just capability but integrity. He served with distinction as Member (Finance) in Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission,where precision is paramount; as Controller General of Accounts, where every rupee tells a story of financial stewardship;as Deputy Auditor General,overseeing federal audit operations; as Accountant General,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,navigating provincial financial complexities; and as Chief Controller of Military Accounts in Rawalpindi,where discipline meets duty in its most exacting form.
His portfolio expanded to encompass senior leadership in the National Highway Authority and strategic assignments as Joint Secretary in Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan,and in Establishment Division. Each posting was not simply a rung on a career ladder but a classroom where judgment was refined, expertise deepened,and the leader he would become gradually took shape prepared not merely for high office, but for transformation itself.
Mr.Ajmal Gondal assumed the constitutional mantle of Auditor-General of Pakistan in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic had swept across nations like a biblical plague, leaving Supreme Audit Institutions worldwide struggling with operational paralysis and eroding independence. Democratic accountability itself seemed under siege, its institutions weakened, and its voice diminishing in a time of crisis and emergency.
Yet where others perceived only darkness and constraint, Mr. Ajmal Gondal discerned the first light of possibility.With the quiet determination of one who has climbed mountains and knows that summits are reached through steady, purposeful ascent,he set about not merely restoring what had been lost,but building what had never existed.With perseverance,discipline,and strategic acumen,he guided SAI Pakistan through recovery, forging international collaborations,welcoming foreign audit leaders to Pakistani soil, and demonstrating that adversity could become the anvil upon which institutional excellence is forged.
Vision Made Manifest:
At the heart of Mr. Ajmal Gondal's transformative leadership lay two comprehensive strategic frameworks: the DAGP Reforms Plan 2021-2025 and the Strategic Plan 2023-2026, the latter was developed in line with his vision and meticulously aligned with INTOSAI standards. These were not documents destined for dusty shelves—they were living constitutions, breathing with purpose, guiding every decision and directing every initiative toward institutional excellence.
The priorities emerged with crystalline clarity:modernize audit practices through adoption of International Standards for Supreme Audit Institutions, champion comprehensive digital transformation, expand coverage into contemporary domains such as climate finance and sustainable development,systematically cultivate professional excellence across the service. His proposed amendments to the AGP Ordinance reflected evolving constitutional realities, ensuring that the legal frameworks kept pace with governance imperatives and contemporary challenges. These were not plans filed and forgotten,but compasses constantly consulted, roadmaps faithfully followed, and promises systematically kept.
Revolutionary Audit Innovations:
Mr. Ajmal Gondal's innovations fundamentally re-imagined the role of audit in democratic life, transforming it from bureaucratic ritual into meaningful public service. His pioneering Impact Audits transcended traditional compliance verification to measure the outcomes that truly matter—shifting the fundamental inquiry from procedural correctness to actual human benefit.
Whether examining poultry development initiatives in Azad Jammu & Kashmir or dengue eradication programs in Islamabad Capital Territory, these audits measured tangible human benefit rather than bureaucratic adherence. Twenty-seven such audits conducted in the 2024-25 year alone redefined how accountability serves governance,making audit not an end in itself but a means to better outcomes for the people.
The Citizen Participatory Audits he introduced represented something even more profound—a philosophical declaration about the nature of democratic accountability. By dissolving the ancient barrier between the government and the governed, by inviting ordinary citizens as partners rather than subjects in the audit process,he proclaimed a truth both simple and revolutionary: public resources belong to the people, and they possess an inalienable right to understand their stewardship.
The Audit Consultative Board he reconstituted brought distinguished voices from academia, ombudspersons, and policy institutes into conversations previously confined to bureaucrats—democratizing not just audit practice but audit thinking itself. During his tenure,Thematic Audits further matured into a genre enabling comprehensive cross-sectoral evaluations,Third-Party Verifications brought independent scrutiny to donor-funded programmes, while AI-enabled auditing for the Benazir Income Support Programme positioned Pakistan at the technology's frontiers.Comprehensive forensic examinations of major state enterprises including Pakistan Railways,SSGCL,GENCO-III, and PESCO were initiated—each exercise revealing systemic dysfunctions that had persisted for years, demanding urgent executive action and meaningful reform.
Excellence in Execution:
profound understanding that institutional transformation lives in details consistently honored. The statistics tell their own compelling story of organizational commitment: of 6,516 planned audit formations, 6,352 were completed. Some 212 critical issues were identified and escalated to the highest levels of executive leadership, including FederalMinisters and provincial Chief Ministers, demonstrating audit's evolution from oversight sentinel to genuine governance partner.The Backlog Clearance Committee he established in April 2022 confronted a daunting challenge:239 audit reports that had languished unresolved over the previous decade,like debts unpaid and promises unkept.Through systematic effort and unwavering focus, this burden was reduced to merely 12 reports pending by his tenure's conclusion. Administrative processes were streamlined with surgical precision: 107 periodic returns distilled to just 24, liberating officers from bureaucratic tangles for substantive audit work. Monthly Clearance Certificates for officers of Pakistan Audit & Accounts Service created accountability in real-time within the Department, recovering Rs. 2.9 million while establishing a culture of continuous verification and prompt action.
Between October 2022 and August 2023, he personally facilitated 200 Public Accounts Committee meetings—an extraordinary level of parliamentary engagement that transformed oversight from perfunctory to substantive and from ceremonial to consequential.
The Constitutional Sentinel:
Mr. Ajmal Gondal’s most defining achievement—one destined to resonate through constitutional history—was his successful defense of audit autonomy before the Islamabad High Court in W.P. No. 967/2020.The case transcended legal formality and struck at the core of accountability itself: if those audited could scrutinize the auditor,the line between the examiner and the examined would have vanished. In defending institutional independence, Mr. Ajmal Gondal drew a constitutional line in indelible ink,affirming that audit autonomy is not an administrative choice but a democratic necessity. The Court’s landmark verdict enshrined this principle,safeguarding the institution for generations. In parliamentary forums,his calm assertion that no audit observation had ever been proven factually incorrect stood as quiet proof of an organization that spoke only what it could substantiate.
The Digital Imperative:
Understanding with rare clarity that 21st-century accountability demands 21st-century tools, Mr. Ajmal Gondal championed technological transformation with both strategic vision and tactical precision.The Audit Management Information System was systematically deployed across 28 field offices,
encompassing 47,264 entities and training over1,300 professionals.Recognition as the Best SAP Organization in 2022 validated not just the ambition but the excellence of execution. He launched e-office system in AGP office that modernized workflows,enabled executive dashboards providing real-time operational visibility,acquired sophisticated data analytics tools that enhanced audit precision and pattern recognition.He made sure that the HR profiles of all PAAS officer are captured in HRMIS, a software that he conceived and got developed for the AGP office. HRMIS was used extensively for HR and career planning. Mr. Ajmal Gondal established the Revenue Receipt Audit Cell in provincial audit offices in the country and implemented the Audit Quality Management Framework, including participation in INTOSAI’s pilot program—demonstrating his commitment to excellence and reform.The first-ever Peer Review by Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Audit Institution recognized SAI Pakistan’s exemplary audit practices,financial transparency, and institutional integrity. Upholding transparency as a democratic duty, he ensured publication of annual audit plans and consolidated reports online,introduced public access to the Code of Ethics and Whistleblower Policy, and transformed the DAGP website into an interactive platform.Over 2,000 citizen complaints were systematically addressed, reinforcing that government exists to serve the people.
Cultivating Excellence in Others:
With the wisdom that recognizes institutions outlive individuals, Mr. Ajmal Gondal invested systematically and generously in human capital. His Structured Grooming Framework for Young Officers envisioned professionals defined not merely by technical competence but by integrity of character, clarity of purpose, and unwavering dedication to public service. During his tenure, 270 PAAS officers advanced in their careers through promotion and 137 DC officers joined the service, expanding capacity while providing meaningful career progression.He nominated 139 officers for rigorous professional qualifications, 493 for IPSAS certification, and 423 for specialized trainings across critical audit domains.
He aligned the Specialized Training Programme with CIPFA, UK's Professional Accounting Qualification—beginning with the 52nd STP batch. Recognition as ACCA Approved Employer and PAAA's designation as CIPFA’s Approved Training Partner elevated Pakistan’s audit credentials to international standing, opening professional pathways previously unavailable.Strategic positions were created and upgraded throughout the service—a BS-20 post at the National Centre for Physics, Chief Controller of Military Accounts elevated to BS-21, progress toward establishing Provincial Revenue Receipt Directorates in all provinces; the case for province of the Punjab was sent to Finance Division for formal approval—expanding opportunities and strengthening institutional presence across the government.
Pakistan Among Nations:
Under Mr. Ajmal Gondal's distinguished stewardship, SAI Pakistan transcended regional bounds to claim its rightful place among 
the world's leading accountability institutions.Election to the ASOSAI Governing Board (2024 –2027), OIC Financing Commission (2024–2026),and ICGFM Board of Directors (2024–2025) reflected international confidence in Pakistan's capabilities an professional standards.Active contribution to 12 INTOSAI Working Groups, bilateral agreements with six nations—UAE,Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Belarus—parallel auditswith four countries, hosting the 5th SCO SAIs Meeting and 58th ASOSAI Governing Board Meeting in 2022:each partnership deepened Pakistan's engagement with global accountability leaders, elevated its professional standing, and amplified its voice in international discourse.When Saudi Arabia's Fund for International Scientific Partnerships funding for Pakistan's digital transformation,it represented recognition of excellence demonstrated, not merely claimed.
The Man Behind the Mission:
Those privileged to serve alongside Mr. Ajmal Gondal speak with genuine reverence of his qualities that transcended professional competence and revealed the character of the man himself. His profound pride in the Pakistan Audit & Accounts Service was not just performative but authentic to his core.This genuine passion was transformative,reshaping how hundreds of officers conceived their professional identity reviving a genuine sense of pride in their office devoted to public service at a time when skepticism toward government had become commonplace.
The defining principle of his tenure—the achievement that would etch his name in constitutional history—was his absolute,uncompromising fidelity to institutional independence. This sacred trust he defended with a resolve and unwavering commitment that remained gracious in manner yet immovable in substance,establishing a standard of integrity that will protect the institution long after his service has concluded.
Wisdom for the Journey Ahead:
In his farewell address, he offered his counsel distilled from a lifetime devoted to public service,wisdom earned through decades of principled leadership:to master responsibilities swiftly upon assuming them, to labor with unswerving integrity regardless of circumstance, to journey always the extra mile beyond minimum requirement—‘for that extra mile’, is where true impact is forged.
A Legacy Beyond Measure:
As his constitutional tenure drew to its natural close, Mr. Ajmal Gondal, with the characteristic humility that had marked his entire service, attributed every achievement to the collective dedication, integrity, and hard work of his colleagues.Yet those who had stood beside him throughout this transformative journey recognized the deeper truth: that while accomplishments may indeed be shared, the vision that inspires them, the courage that sustains them through adversity,and the integrity that protects them from compromise—these are the leadership's essential and irreplaceable gifts. In Mr. Muhammad Ajmal Gondal, they had witnessed such leadership in its purest and most enduring form.
He bequeaths to Pakistan an institution standing with greater dignity, thinking with bolder audacity, acting with fiercer independence, and serving with deeper constitutional purpose than at any moment in its distinguished history stretching back generations.
This is the leadership that transcends the temporal boundaries of any single tenure.This is the legacy that defies time's normal constraints.The Pakistan Audit & Accounts Service stands justifiably proud of Mr. Muhammad Ajmal Gondal.
Mr. Muhammad Ajmal Gondal is married and blessed with four children, who remain his greatest source of pride and joy — a timeless reminder that even amidst the highest callings of public service, life’s truest fulfillment is found in the quiet grace of family. His hobbies which keep him happy, healthy, and both physically and mentally alert include mountain trekking, organic farming and aquaponics.