Shehbaz Sharif elected unopposed as PAC chairman

Leader of the Opposition and president of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif was elected on Friday as chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Sharif's name, suggested by PML-N lawmaker Sheikh Rohail Asghar and seconded by Mushahid Hussain Syed, was accepted without any opposition, local media reported. After being elected as the chairman, Sharif thanked members of the Parliament for their trust in him and ensured that process of accountability will be transparent.

The PML-N president also thanked the former chairman of the committee, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Khursheed Shah, for running PAC effectively. The PAC chairman announced that the first PAC meeting will be held on December 28.

Government breaks deadlock, concedes PAC chairmanship to Shehbaz Sharif

For months, the government and opposition were on a deadlock regarding the appointment of PAC chairman. The government was reluctant to accept Sharif as the PAC chairman whose name the opposition had nominated. Since Sharif has pending cases filed by National Accountability Bureau, the government was unwilling to hand over him the post.

However, on December 13, the government broke the deadlock by conceding the chairmanship to Sharif. During the NA session, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to give the post to the opposition leader.

PAC is considered to be the most powerful and important committee of the Parliament.