Wearing another hat: Khursheed Shah accepts PAC chairman offer
NA opposition leader finally agrees to take on the job.
NA opposition leader finally agrees to take on the job.
ISLAMABAD:
National Assembly’s Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah has finally accepted Nawaz Sharif government’s offer to head the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The government had been offering him the PAC office for quite some time.
Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Shah has finally expressed willingness to do the job. “A notification in this regard is likely to be issued in the first week of December,” an official added.
The NA Secretariat announced that the 14th PAC would meet during the first week of December, and ministries have been asked to complete their homework and hold departmental account meetings regualrly.
Shah took time in taking the decision because the party had earlier nominated Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, sister of Asif Ali Zardari, for the office but the government was insisting that the opposition leader should be appointed.
Khursheed Shah is not a PAC member. So the PPP had nominated Syed Naveed Qamar, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah as members of the PAC; so now it has to be revisited. According to the rules, the National Assembly speaker is authorised to make changes in the composition of the committee.
The 13th PAC, headed by Nisar Ali Khan, had cleared the backlog and helped the government recover around Rs21 billion. However, he quit office due to differences with the government over the appointment of the auditor general of Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2013.
National Assembly’s Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah has finally accepted Nawaz Sharif government’s offer to head the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The government had been offering him the PAC office for quite some time.
Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Shah has finally expressed willingness to do the job. “A notification in this regard is likely to be issued in the first week of December,” an official added.
The NA Secretariat announced that the 14th PAC would meet during the first week of December, and ministries have been asked to complete their homework and hold departmental account meetings regualrly.
Shah took time in taking the decision because the party had earlier nominated Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, sister of Asif Ali Zardari, for the office but the government was insisting that the opposition leader should be appointed.
Khursheed Shah is not a PAC member. So the PPP had nominated Syed Naveed Qamar, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah as members of the PAC; so now it has to be revisited. According to the rules, the National Assembly speaker is authorised to make changes in the composition of the committee.
The 13th PAC, headed by Nisar Ali Khan, had cleared the backlog and helped the government recover around Rs21 billion. However, he quit office due to differences with the government over the appointment of the auditor general of Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2013.