ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) witnessed serious political arguments on Thursday and spent more time on non-issues than on audit objections.

Senator Shibli Faraz of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) accused members of a political party of defending the audit objections over misappropriations or malpractices conducted during the time their party was in power.

Without naming the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), he suggested that the members should leave the meeting when audit objections were discussed of the period when they were in power.

Naveed Qamar of the Pakistan Peoples Party said that objections raised by Shibli Faraz and other PTI members were not valid, adding that if a parliamentarian was associated with any audit objection, he/she should not head that particular meeting. Such objections were also raised against the prime minister, he added.

Rana Tanvir Hussain of the PML-N said that many ministers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab were under investigation by various agencies so the PTI members should not make this demand.

“We must not make a mockery of parliament and turn it into a comedy club,” he said.

Khawaja Asif of the PML-N and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf of the PPP said that the PAC was not a political forum but belonged to parliament and members had always discussed issues rising above party lines.

Khawaja Asif said the difference between the environment in the National Assembly and that of the PAC should be kept in mind.

Sheikh Rohail Asghar of the PML-N criticised the PTI parliamentarians and said PAC’s previous performance reports along with a briefing on its functions should be given to them.

“Either PTI members lack knowledge or they are trying to get media attention by raising non-issues,” he added.

The PAC witnessed another development as its chairman called PTI’s Nasrullah Dreshak to the committee.

Mr Dreshak had written to Shahbaz Sharif, asking him to quit the PAC as he was being summoned by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in cases related to the Orange Line Train (OLT) and Multan Metro Bus projects.

Mr Sharif said that about Rs74 billion was saved in the OLT project and asked FIA Director General Bashir Memon if there was any case against him or that he was summoned by his agency.

When Mr Memon said the FIA had not summoned Mr Sharif in any case, Mr Dreshak left the committee room, saying this information could have been conveyed to him instead of calling him to the PAC meeting.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2019