ISLAMABAD: Member of the National Assembly Junaid Akbar Khan, belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), was unanimously elected as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) during a meeting on Friday.

The position had been vacant since the February 2024 general elections, which brought the PML-N government to power.

The election process was completed over a month after NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had asked both sides of the aisle in the lower house of parliament to nominate candidates for the PAC chairmanship within a week.

The PAC chairmanship is usually held by leader of the opposition or their nominee, though there is no legal requirement for this parliamentary tradition.

The Friday election followed nominations by senior political figures, including PML-N’s chief whip Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, and Leader of the Opposition in Senate Shibli Faraz. These nominations were supported by other prominent members, such as Riaz Fatiana, Malik Aamir Dogar, and Sardar Muhammad Yousuf Zaman.

In his letter to Speaker Sadiq, PTI chief whip Aamir Dogar nominated four persons, including himself, for PAC’s chairman election. The other nominees were Omar Ayub, Sheikh Waqqas Akram and Junaid Akbar.

Following his election, Junaid Akbar Khan expressed his gratitude to all the members and assured them of an inclusive leadership style. “I am committed to working hard and take along all my colleagues,” he remarked. The committee members congratulated him and pledged their full support in ensuring the smooth and effective functioning of the PAC.

The PTI had earlier nominated Sher Afzal Marwat for the role but then replaced him with party’s spokesperson She­ikh Waqqas, before ultimately endorsing Junaid Akbar.

According to party sources, certain PTI leaders objected to the name of Mr Marwat. Subsequently, the matter was referred to its political committee to pick either him or Sunni Ittehad Council leader Sahibzada Hamid Raza.

However, sources said, the committee later held an election between Mr Marwat and Sheikh Waqqas instead of the SIC leader during which the members consented to the latter’s name.

The sources added that some party leaders had reservations over the election’s process after which the name of Mr Waqqas, too, was dropped. Finally, Junaid Akbar was elected to the position that had been lying vacant for almost a year.

The PAC, which is usually chaired by the opposition leader or his nominee, is responsible for keeping a check on government spending. Being one of the most influential parliamentary bodies, it holds the authority to summon individuals and review financial records from government departments to ensure accountability.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2025