Govt may decide about PAC chair today
Ruling party, opposition parties at odds over the appointment
PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair a crucial meeting today (Monday) to discuss a standoff with the opposition over the chairpersonship of the all-powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and opposition parties are at odds over the appointment of the PAC chairperson. The standoff has started affecting the functioning of parliament as National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser is unable to constitute other committees as well due to the opposition’s threat to boycott them.
The meeting at the PM House would discuss the option of going ahead with forming the parliamentary committees without seeking the support of the opposition.
Sources in the PM House said the government might announce its decision on the PAC issue. PTI Chief Whip Amir Dogar will brief the participants about the opposition’s stance.
The sources said the meeting would give a final shape to the strategy to be adopted against the opposition.
The opposition wants the PAC chairperson’s position offered to it as per parliamentary traditions and has already nominated Leader of the Opposition and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif for the post.
On the other hand, the PTI is unwilling to give the PAC post to the opposition, saying that it could not allow the opposition parties to review the projects initiated and executed by them during their own governments.
Under the rules, the speaker was bound to constitute all the standing and functional committees of the house “within 30 days after the election of the Leader of the House (prime minister)”. Since PTI Chairman Imran Khan was elected prime minister on August 18, the speaker had time till September 17 for the formation of over three dozen house committees.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had dropped clear hints that it would not block the formation of the committees.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair a crucial meeting today (Monday) to discuss a standoff with the opposition over the chairpersonship of the all-powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and opposition parties are at odds over the appointment of the PAC chairperson. The standoff has started affecting the functioning of parliament as National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser is unable to constitute other committees as well due to the opposition’s threat to boycott them.
The meeting at the PM House would discuss the option of going ahead with forming the parliamentary committees without seeking the support of the opposition.
Sources in the PM House said the government might announce its decision on the PAC issue. PTI Chief Whip Amir Dogar will brief the participants about the opposition’s stance.
The sources said the meeting would give a final shape to the strategy to be adopted against the opposition.
The opposition wants the PAC chairperson’s position offered to it as per parliamentary traditions and has already nominated Leader of the Opposition and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif for the post.
On the other hand, the PTI is unwilling to give the PAC post to the opposition, saying that it could not allow the opposition parties to review the projects initiated and executed by them during their own governments.
Under the rules, the speaker was bound to constitute all the standing and functional committees of the house “within 30 days after the election of the Leader of the House (prime minister)”. Since PTI Chairman Imran Khan was elected prime minister on August 18, the speaker had time till September 17 for the formation of over three dozen house committees.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had dropped clear hints that it would not block the formation of the committees.