Shehbaz Sharif chairs first PAC meeting

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif is chairing the first meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today.

Shehbaz, who is in the custody of National Accountability Bureau (NAB),  was elected as PAC chairman unopposed on December 21. He was issued with a production order to attend the meeting by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser a day ago.

The PML-N president decided that he will not chair any session related to the previous government’s rule.

The details of the cases sent to the NAB and FIA have been summoned for the next session on Monday.

In the first session, it was also decided that no officer less than grade 19 will give briefing to the meeting.

Head of NAB, Federal Investigation Agency and other institutions were also in attendance. The auditor general of Pakistan briefed the committee.

Speaking to media at the Parliament House earlier, Shehbaz expressed concern at the political situation in the country. "Accountability has nothing to do with [what's happening], this is injustice and transgression," he said. 

"We respect the judiciary but disagree with NAB court's decision," the PML-N leader added.

The second session of the committee will be held on Monday, December 31 and Tuesday, January 1.

Earlier this month, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government conceded the chairmanship of PAC to Shehbaz, almost three months after a stalemate over the key position.

The PTI government had long stuck to its stance that the opposition should come up with any name other than Shehbaz's for the chairmanship as he is accused in the Ashiana Housing scandal, but the opposition was of the view that past traditions of the National Assembly should be honoured.