Islamabad (Staff Report): President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif chaired the first meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday.
The PAC summoned details of the cases sent to the National Accountability (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the next session on Monday.
The committee in its first session also decided that no officer less than grade 19 will give briefing to the meeting.
Heads of NAB, FIA and other institutions were also in attendance. The auditor general of Pakistan briefed the committee.
The PML-N president told the committee that he will not chair any session related to the previous government’s rule.
A day earlier, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar issued a production order for Shehbaz to attend the meeting.
On December 21, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif was unanimously elected as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
PML-N lawmaker Sheikh Rohail Asghar suggested Shehbaz's name for committee chairman and it was confirmed by Mushahid Hussain. Shehbaz's name was the only one put forth and was accepted unanimously.
Following his nomination, Shehbaz Sharif thanked members of the Parliament for placing their trust in him and assured that he will "take everyone along and move forward".
Vowing that the accountability process will be transparent, the PML-N leader said that the PAC was an effective forum for the improvement in the process of accountability.
Shehbaz also lauded Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former chairman of the committee Khursheed Shah for running the PAC effectively.
On December 13, the PTI government conceded the chairmanship of PAC to Shehbaz almost three months after a stalemate over the key position.
Earlier, the government had maintained the stance that the opposition should suggest another name to head the PAC as Shehbaz Sharif was accused in the Ashiana Housing scandal.
However, the opposition rejected the offer and was of the view that past traditions of the National Assembly be honoured.
