–Railways minister says PM Imran wants him to join PAC
RAWALPINDI: Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Wednesday said that he will file a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) if no decision is taken on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shehbaz Sharif’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairmanship.
Talking to a private news channel, Rasheed said, “I will wait and see this week and if no decision is taken on Shehbaz’s PAC chairmanship then I will file a writ petition in the Supreme Court by Monday or Tuesday.”
Rasheed further talked about his own PAC membership and said, “Prime Minister Imran Khan inquired himself whether a minister can become a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).”
Commenting on reservations being raised by some PTI lawmakers over his bid to join the PAC, the railways minister said, “I have no issue with any PTI member and did not ask to become PAC member myself. It was Khan Sb, who asked the law minister regarding my membership.”
“Farogh Naseem said in front of a minister that he was asked whether I can become PAC member. Naseem said that I can become part of the committee,” he added.
Rasheed continued, “When I asked Naeemul Haque, he handed me a notification that PM Imran has directed the speaker. If the speaker has any reservations regarding me then I am not aware of them but the government has certain reservations regarding him.”
“It is not appropriate for me to share those reservations as I respect the speaker but I feel he is making a wrong decision.”
The railways minister further said that Shehbaz Sharif is pressing the speaker to include Khawaja Asif and Rana Sanullah in PAC. “There will be two PACs – one will be addressed by Shehbaz and the other by me,” he quipped.
“I am standing by my decision to join PAC because of PM Imran. If the premier thinks the committee does not need me then it is fine by me,” he said, adding that important decisions will be taken by June 30.
Regarding the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), the railways minister said, “Those nations which had given NRO are now unhappy. King Abdullah apologised to former president Pervez Musharraf in front of me and said they had made a mistake.”
Earlier, while speaking to the media as he departed from Rawalpindi to Multan via Thal Express, Rasheed said, “40 more people, who were dons in politics and looted the country, are in the queue to go to jail.”
Stating that “thieves looted the country”, Rasheed said there is no choice but to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“If I was the prime minister, I would have also approached the IMF,” the railways minister said.
