After much ado, Shehbaz elected PAC chairman
PML-N president vows to uphold high standards of fair and equitable accountability
Shehbaz Sharif. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif was unanimously elected on Friday as chairman of a key parliamentary body, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), as he vowed to uphold principles of ‘fair and equitable’ accountability.
After Shehbaz’s election, the parliamentary business that was on hold for the last four months is now expected to kick-start. Shehbaz Sharif is currently in custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with a probe into a housing scam and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was earlier not ready to allow him to hold this key parliamentary post related to audit of various projects.
The house on Friday also unanimously elected PTI’S MNA Riaz Fatyana as chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Law and Justice – another important parliamentary body.
Earlier, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sheikh Rohail Asghar proposed name of Shehbaz for the prestigious position. This proposal was seconded by the PTI’s chief whip in the National Assembly, Malik Amir Dogar. No one opposed candidature of the PML-N president.
“I will uphold the high standards of fair and equitable accountability,” said Shehbaz Sharif after his election. He also announced to convene the first PAC meeting on December 28.
The move came after a four-month-long tussle between the treasury and opposition benches over the committee chairmanship. Later, the PTI conceded to opposition’s demand but on condition that special panels probing the PML-N government’s expenditure will be headed by a member from treasury bench.
Prime Minister Imran Khan did not want to see Shehbaz Sharif as the PAC chairman. Currently, the National Assembly speaker issues Shehbaz’s production orders prior to the NA sessions so that so that he may attend the house proceedings.
Parliamentary heavyweights included in PAC
“We expect that you would work with honesty and whenever a case related to you and your family would come up for a decision, you would disassociate yourself from the committee’s proceedings,” said the PTI MNA Noor Alam Khan in his congratulatory remarks. He repeated the PTI’s position that the rules of business do not bind the government to appoint opposition leader as PAC chairman.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the PML-N had signed a charter of democracy in 2006 where both the parties had agreed to give the PAC chairmanship to the opposition leader. Shehbaz Sharif assured the house that he would make sure that the conflict of interest question does not arise.
According to the government rules, the principal accounting officer of the ministry, who happens to be a federal secretary, exercises financial powers. It is the federal secretary who appears before the PAC to explain the audit objections.
It is very rare that the PAC personally calls the federal ministers to explain their positions. Therefore, there would not be many occasions when Shehbaz Sharif would have to excuse himself.
The PAC is the most powerful body of the parliament that makes decisions on the audit reports being finalised by department of the Auditor General of Pakistan.
Shehbaz led PAC would have to match the standards set by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan led PAC (2008-2012). Nisar led PAC ensured more than Rs120 billion recoveries and made very high profile people accountable including former military generals.
“After a long and hard struggle, we have finally seen the day when the good parliamentary traditions are preserved,” said the PPP MNA Naveed Qamar in his remarks. The PAC chairmanship was the right of Shehbaz Sharif and he would not disappoint the people, said PTI MNA Sardar Nasrullah Dreshak.
On Thursday, the house unanimously passed a motion – tabled by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan – for the creation of PAC and Standing Committee on Law and Justice.
The committee boasts parliamentary heavyweights including Syed Fakhar Iman, Nasrullah Dreshak, Sardar Akhter Mengal, Riaz Fatyana, Amir Dogar, Munaza Hassan, Noor Alam Khan, Sheraiz Mahmood, Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan, Ali Nawaz Shah, Hussain Ilahi, Ijaz Shah, Raja Riaz, Shehbaz Sharif, Khawaja Asif, Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Tanvir Hussain, Sheikh Rohail Asghar, Miss Shahida Akhter Ali, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Syed Naveed Qamar, Syed Hussain Tariq and Hina Rabbani Khar.
The National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif was unanimously elected on Friday as chairman of a key parliamentary body, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), as he vowed to uphold principles of ‘fair and equitable’ accountability.
After Shehbaz’s election, the parliamentary business that was on hold for the last four months is now expected to kick-start. Shehbaz Sharif is currently in custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with a probe into a housing scam and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was earlier not ready to allow him to hold this key parliamentary post related to audit of various projects.
The house on Friday also unanimously elected PTI’S MNA Riaz Fatyana as chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Law and Justice – another important parliamentary body.
Earlier, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sheikh Rohail Asghar proposed name of Shehbaz for the prestigious position. This proposal was seconded by the PTI’s chief whip in the National Assembly, Malik Amir Dogar. No one opposed candidature of the PML-N president.
“I will uphold the high standards of fair and equitable accountability,” said Shehbaz Sharif after his election. He also announced to convene the first PAC meeting on December 28.
The move came after a four-month-long tussle between the treasury and opposition benches over the committee chairmanship. Later, the PTI conceded to opposition’s demand but on condition that special panels probing the PML-N government’s expenditure will be headed by a member from treasury bench.
Prime Minister Imran Khan did not want to see Shehbaz Sharif as the PAC chairman. Currently, the National Assembly speaker issues Shehbaz’s production orders prior to the NA sessions so that so that he may attend the house proceedings.
Parliamentary heavyweights included in PAC
“We expect that you would work with honesty and whenever a case related to you and your family would come up for a decision, you would disassociate yourself from the committee’s proceedings,” said the PTI MNA Noor Alam Khan in his congratulatory remarks. He repeated the PTI’s position that the rules of business do not bind the government to appoint opposition leader as PAC chairman.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the PML-N had signed a charter of democracy in 2006 where both the parties had agreed to give the PAC chairmanship to the opposition leader. Shehbaz Sharif assured the house that he would make sure that the conflict of interest question does not arise.
According to the government rules, the principal accounting officer of the ministry, who happens to be a federal secretary, exercises financial powers. It is the federal secretary who appears before the PAC to explain the audit objections.
It is very rare that the PAC personally calls the federal ministers to explain their positions. Therefore, there would not be many occasions when Shehbaz Sharif would have to excuse himself.
The PAC is the most powerful body of the parliament that makes decisions on the audit reports being finalised by department of the Auditor General of Pakistan.
Shehbaz led PAC would have to match the standards set by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan led PAC (2008-2012). Nisar led PAC ensured more than Rs120 billion recoveries and made very high profile people accountable including former military generals.
“After a long and hard struggle, we have finally seen the day when the good parliamentary traditions are preserved,” said the PPP MNA Naveed Qamar in his remarks. The PAC chairmanship was the right of Shehbaz Sharif and he would not disappoint the people, said PTI MNA Sardar Nasrullah Dreshak.
On Thursday, the house unanimously passed a motion – tabled by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan – for the creation of PAC and Standing Committee on Law and Justice.
The committee boasts parliamentary heavyweights including Syed Fakhar Iman, Nasrullah Dreshak, Sardar Akhter Mengal, Riaz Fatyana, Amir Dogar, Munaza Hassan, Noor Alam Khan, Sheraiz Mahmood, Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan, Ali Nawaz Shah, Hussain Ilahi, Ijaz Shah, Raja Riaz, Shehbaz Sharif, Khawaja Asif, Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Tanvir Hussain, Sheikh Rohail Asghar, Miss Shahida Akhter Ali, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Syed Naveed Qamar, Syed Hussain Tariq and Hina Rabbani Khar.