PML-N's Rana Tanveer elected as new PAC chairman

The position had fallen vacant after PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif resigned earlier this month

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Rana Tanveer Hussain has been unanimously elected as chairman of the parliament accountability body, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The position was earlier held by the PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.
Hussain was elected as PAC chief in a joint meeting attended by the members National Assembly (MNAs) from opposition parties as well as the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Parliament House on Thursday.



“PAC will be made functional,” Hussain said after becoming the chairman of the body.

He also vowed to work on a schedule after consulting PAC members. The position fell vacant after PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, who is also leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, resigned from the post.

Shehbaz submitted his resignation on November 18, a day before leaving for London with his brother, former premier Nawaz Sharif, for the latter’s medical treatment. The National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser had accepted Shehbaz’s resignation.

The PML-N president in his resignation letter had proposed Rana Tanveer Hussain’s name.

The government had later decided not to challenge Hussain’s nomination for the post.



Shehbaz was appointed as PAC chairman in December 2018 after a four-month-long tussle between the treasury and opposition benches over the committee chairmanship.
Later, the PTI had conceded to the opposition’s demand but on condition that special panels probing the former 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.
However, according to the Charter of Democracy signed between the Pakistan Peoples Party and the PML-N in 2006 both the parties had agreed to give the PAC chairmanship to the NA opposition leader.