ISLAMABAD: Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Friday criticised National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser for refusing to make him a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), as he gave PAC Chairman Shehbaz Sharif an eight-day deadline to step down from the office.
Addressing railway workers of carriage factory in Islamabad, Rasheed said the NA speaker should tell reasons for not making him a member of PAC despite receiving a letter to this effect by Prime Minister Imran Khan. He reiterated that NA Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif is not acceptable as PAC chairman at any cost. He slammed Asad Qaiser, saying the NA speaker took an illegal step by making Shehbaz as PAC chairman.
“I have informed Prime Minister Imran that Shehbaz Sharif is not acceptable to me as PAC chairman,” said Rasheed.
A day earlier, the federal cabinet also called on Shehbaz Sharif to resign from PAC chairmanship. Following the federal cabinet meeting, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the PAC was being used to protect those being probed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
“The committee is being used as a shield against corruption,” Chaudhry said.
The minister added that Saad Rafique and others accused of corruption worth billions would be made members of the PAC.
“We (federal cabinet) believe that Shehbaz Sharif should resign on moral grounds,” Chaudhry added.
