Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member of National Assembly (MNA) Junaid Akbar was elected chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday, filling the post that had been vacant since the government assumed power following the February 2024 elections.
The PAC is one of the most influential parliamentary bodies, vested with the authority to summon any individual or records from government departments concerning financial matters. Traditionally, the PAC chairmanship has been allocated to the opposition, a parliamentary norm established after the 2008 general elections, which continues to this day.
During the PAC meeting convened to elect its chairman, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Chief Whip Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, along with opposition leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz from the National Assembly and Senate, respectively, proposed Junaid Akbar’s name for the position. The election proceeded after the committee’s quorum was completed.
Prominent PTI members, including Chief Whip Aamir Dogar, Riaz Fatyana, Wajiha Qamar, and Sardar Yousuf Zaman, raised their hands in support of Akbar’s candidacy, securing his appointment.
Initially, PTI had nominated MNA Sher Afzal Marwat for the PAC chairmanship. However, the party later replaced him with Sheikh Waqas Akram. This decision led to internal disputes within PTI, as Marwat expressed dissatisfaction with senior party leaders after his nomination was withdrawn.
In May 2024, Marwat accused PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz of preventing him from meeting party founder Imran Khan, allegedly in coordination with the jail superintendent. Marwat also claimed that Ayub and Faraz had falsely stated that the PML-N opposed his appointment as PAC chairman, attributing this stance to Khawaja Asif and the National Assembly Speaker, both of whom denied the claims.
Following these allegations, PTI issued a show-cause notice to Marwat for violating the party’s code of conduct and policy. He was subsequently expelled from PTI’s core and political committees on the directives of Imran Khan.
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