LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed on Wednesday that Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif will be named as the chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in accordance with the tradition of National Assembly (NA).
Speaking to Pakistan Today Editor, renowned journalist and analyst Arif Nizami, Marriyum said that a delegation comprising lawmakers belonging to the opposition parties met NA Speaker Asad Qaiser who assured them that the PAC chairman will be from opposition.
“Opposition, including the PPP, has jointly decided to name Shehbaz Sharif as the PAC chairman. As per the norm practiced in the previous tenures, the opposition leader holds the position of PAC chairman,” she said.
Responding to the comments of Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry in which he signaled that the government will make sure that it has the PAC chairmanship with itself to investigate corruption, the PML-N spokesperson said Chaudhry “keeps all information apart from what comes from the government”.
“In our detailed discussion (with NA speaker), it was decided that the PAC chairmanship will be kept by the opposition,” she confirmed.
Meanwhile, Chaudhry said on the sidelines of NA session earlier on Tuesday that the government intended to have the PAC chairman appointed from the treasury benches, according to media reports.
The NA speaker, while talking in a TV programme, also assured that the opposition will retain the PAC chairmanship.
Earlier, a party delegation of the PML-N had also met Qaiser to discuss the formation of the new committees and demanded that the PAC chairmanship should be given to them as per tradition.
