Plea against Shehbaz's appointment as PAC chairman fixed for hearing

Dunya News

IHC Registrar has however; objected over the miscellaneous petition.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - A miscellaneous application filed against the appointment of opposition leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif as Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman has been fixed for hearing by the Islamabad High Court.

A division bench comprising of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar will heard the plea on January 17.

IHC Registrar has however; objected over the miscellaneous petition.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President was elected unopposed chairman of the parliamentary watchdog on December 22.

The PAC is the apex parliamentary watchdog that oversees the audit of revenue and expenditure by the government and it is considered to be the most powerful and important committee of parliament.

The PTI government was initially reluctant to give chairmanship of this vital parliamentary committee to the opposition leader however; after months of wrangling with PML-N, Prime Minister Imran Khan gave a go ahead to Sharif to head the PAC. 

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told NA that Prime Minister has conceded in the larger interest of democracy and parliamentary norms that the opposition can choose the PAC Chairman.

Sharif appreciated the gesture of government, saying heading the Public Accounts Committee has been a tradition in the tenure of last two and three governments.

“This step will promote democratic norms and traditions and further solidify the institution of parliament,” he told NA.