There has been an unwritten parliamentary tradition in past decades that the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee will be chosen by the opposition parties. The PAC is the most important committee in the National Assembly as it has the power to audit the revenue and spending of the government. Since members of the ruling party still have a majority of members on the PAC, allowing it to be headed by an opposition leader ensures there is appropriate oversight of the government. The PTI, however, had hobbled parliament by breaking with this tradition. For four months it has refused to accept the opposition choice of Shahbaz Sharif as chairperson of the PAC, arguing that a person under investigation for corruption should not be in charge of such a crucial committee.
Now, though, the government has finally relented and agreed to allow the opposition to nominate Shahbaz. This is an important concession as it ensures that parliamentary norms will not be shattered by the PTI government. It should also lead to parliament finally being able to do its job. PM Imran Khan has already made clear that he intends to rule by ordinance rather than legislation but the National Assembly still has an important oversight role to play to hold the government to account for its actions.
And nowhere is that accountability more needed than in the government’s own accountability drive. The National Accountability Bureau has been more active than ever during the PTI’s tenure – but seemingly only against members of the opposition. On Wednesday, former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother were arrested for alleged corruption in the Paragon Housing scheme. As with all other cases, this too needs to be judged on its merits. But it is telling that NAB, as with most previous governments, seems to be pursuing some cases far more actively than others. PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called the use of NAB on political opponents a witch-hunt. Four months in, the government is still not trying to work with the elected parliament and is still demonising opposition parties. In the long run, this is unhealthy for our democracy. The hope is that relenting on the PAC chairperson issues signals an attempt by the PTI to engage with democratic institutions and finally rule by consensus.