Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member of National Assembly (MNA) Junaid Akbar was elected chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday, the post was lying vacant since the government came into power following the February 2024 elections.
The PAC is considered one of the most powerful parliamentary bodies, with the authority to summon any individual or record from government departments in financial matters.
As per parliamentary norms established following the 2008 general elections, the chair of the PAC is traditionally allotted to the opposition, a practice which continues till today. During the meeting summoned to elect the PAC chairman, PML-N Chief Whip Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, NA and Senate opposition leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, respectively, recommended Akbar’s name for the slot.
The election was held when the quorum of the committee was completed.
PTI Chief Whip Aamir Dogar, Riaz Fatyana, Wajiha Qamar, Sardar Yousuf Zaman and others raised their hands in support of Junaid Akbar.
Earlier, the PTI had nominated MNA Sher Afzal Marwat for the PAC’s chairmanship, but later replaced him with Sheikh Waqas Akram, the party’s spokesperson.
The nomination for the PAC chairmanship slot also caused rift in the former ruling party, when Sher Afzal Marwat refused to work with senior party leaders after his nomination was revoked for the slot.
Last year in May, Marwat alleged that PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz did not let him meet founder chairman Imran Khan, in connivance with the jail superintendent. He pointed out that earlier both Ayub and Faraz claimed that the PML-N was not ready to accept him as the PAC chairman. They quoted Khawaja Asif and NA speaker as having said so, whereas both denied it.
Later, the PTI issued a show-cause notice to him for violating its code of conduct and policy. He was also expelled from PTI’s core and political committees on the directives of Imran.