PTI-backed Junaid Akbar unanimously elected PAC chairman

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) MNA Junaid Akbar Khan has been elected as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday, ARY News reported.

The election of the PAC chairman took a year to materialise, with PTI and government blaming each other for the delay. Since the current government came into power after the February 2024 elections, the position has been unfilled.

An emergent meeting of the PAC was summoned after the PTI-backed SIC sent a panel for the position on the government’s demand. Besides Junaid Akbar Khan, the name of Adil Bazai was also among the panel.

Junaid Akbar Khan’s name was proposed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and none of the PAC members objected to it, paving the way for unanimous selection.

He was elected member National Assembly for the third time in general elections 2024 a PTI-backed independent candidate from NA-9 Malakand, securing 113,513 votes while the runner-up, Syed Ahmad Ali Shah of PPP bagged 40,740 votes.

It is to be noted here that all PTI-backed MNAs are being displayed as SIC members on the National Assembly website amid the legal issues pending before the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan.

“It took a year to elect the PAC chairman, and the government is responsible for this delay,” said PTI Chief Whip Amir Dogar.

Amir Dogar also criticised the government for demanding a panel for the chairman’s election, stating that this was a new precedent. “When Shehbaz Sharif was made the PAC chairman, no panel was demanded,” he said.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry praised the government for electing the PAC chairman, saying that he would give credit to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the decision.

“Despite pressure from allies, the government decided to give the chairmanship to PTI, Chaudhry added,” he added.

The PTI initially suggested Sher Afzal Marwat for the slot just to replace with Sheikh Waqas Akram.

SIC chief Hamid Raza formally apprised the National Assembly (NA) Secretariat about the party’s nominee for the slot. “Sheikh Waqas Akram has been nominated for the chairmanship of the PAC,” Hamid Raza told the NA secretariat.

It is pertinent to mention here that the slot became a bone of contention and triggered a tug-of-war between senior PTI members as Sher Afzal Marwat, who was earlier named by the party, openly critisised the party leadership.

Later on July 12, the PTI suspended the membership of Sher Afzal Marwat on directives of party founder Imran Khan.