Sharif family quits two more offices

ISLAMABAD: In a sudden development, the parliamentary party of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday decided to withdraw the name of Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), nominating Rana Tanveer Hussain in his place.

The parliamentary party, which met here at the Parliament House with the PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq in the chair after the National Assembly session, also nominated Khawaja Muhammad Asif for the slot of party’s parliamentary leader in the House.

The decisions taken by the parliamentary party on Thursday has also raised questions about the return of Shahbaz Sharif in near future. The opposition leader was scheduled to return Pakistan on May 7, but now the party sources say the programme had been changed on advice of doctors in London.

The National Assembly Speaker, Asad Qaisar, in an informal talk told media persons that his office was yet to receive any request from the opposition regarding the change in chairmanship of the PAC.

“I will take the decision once a request is made from the opposition regarding the decision,” the speaker said. The speaker is not bound to appoint the PAC chairmanfrom the opposition parties. However, since the appointment of then opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on this slot, it has become a tradition to take the PAC chairman from the opposition in the National Assembly.

The sources said the meeting also deliberated on naming Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to replace Shahbaz Sharif as the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly. The final decision will be taken in consultation with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, however, later talking to media persons, rejected the rumours about change of the opposition leader. He said the decision to withdraw the name of Shahbaz Sharif had been taken in view of his health condition, saying that as per the Charter of Democracy (CoD) reached between the PML-N and PPP, the PAC chairman would be taken from the opposition party.

To a question, the former prime minister said that other opposition parties have also been taken into confidence while making nomination of Rana Tanveer and withdrawal of the name of Shahbaz Sharif as the PAC chairman.

Sources said Shahid Khaqan may also be named as President of the PML-N in the absence of Shahbaz Sharif. Khawaja Muhammad Asif told media persons that Shahbaz Sharif would attend the budget session of the National Assembly and will also take part in the debate.

The party’s spokesman later in a statement said that there was no truth in reports about change of the opposition leadership. “Shahbaz Sharif will continue as the opposition leader,” she maintained.

She said that it might be the wish of some people that Shahbaz Sharif is replaced as the opposition leader but the same would not happen. Meanwhile, sources said most of the PML-N leaders expressed displeasure over the policy of the party. Sources said Khawaja Saad Rafique said during the parliamentary party meeting that there was a narrative of Nawaz Sharif, but what narrative is being followed by the party. He said weak people are being given big party positions. He said more problems will happen in Punjab with loot sale of party offices. He said the party was facing loss due to its vague policy.

Mian Javed Latif said no narrative other than the narrative of Nawaz Sharif is acceptable. He said an ‘establishment’ of four or five people has been created in the PML-N, which is unacceptable. He said four to five people are making decisions of the party without taking the activists into confidence.

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has expressed reservations on the decision of the PML-N to given the PAC chairmanship to Rana Tanveer. "The PML-N leadership did not consult the PPP on the decision of Shahbaz Sharif quitting the PAC chairmanship," said the PPP Information Secretary Dr Nafeesa Shah in a statement.