Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will face issues despite conceding the chairmanship of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif, an anecdotal survey of opposition leaders carried out by Business Recorder reveals.
"The opposition succeeded in pressuring the government to cede PAC chairmanship to Leader of the Opposition and is unlikely to allow the government smooth sailing in its efforts to legislate," said an official in Parliament. The PTI has insisted at every forum and at every press conference that it would not slow down the process of ongoing accountability, which the opposition terms a witch-hunt of its senior leadership he further stated adding that if the situation did not change, the PTI may not be able to proceed with legislation.
The federal government's decision to place a number of parliamentarians' names, including Co-Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as well as the incumbent and former chief ministers of Sindh on Exit Control List (ECL), will widen the differences between the government and the opposition and is likely to negatively affect the formation of National Assembly's standing committees, he added.
With the exception of the PAC and the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice, elections of chairmen of all other standing committees of National Assembly are yet to be held. Sources told Business Recorder that National Assembly session is expected to be held on January 11 next year, during which elections of other standing committees will be initiated, following which the process of legislations may begin.
Talking to Business Recorder, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) MNA Naveed Qamar categorically said that if "selective accountability" of political rivals continues, the government will not be able to do legislation in either National Assembly or Senate. However, he stated that if there is any piece of legislation which is in the interest of democracy as well as the nation, "we will extend support to the government". "The government should stop its witch-hunt and there should be across the board accountability," he added. He said that the party will "convey its reservations to the government as the ongoing one-sided accountability of political opponents should stop," during the next session of the assembly.
Senator Mushahidullah Khan of Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PML-N) said that the government will not be able to legislate if the witch-hunt against leaders of the opposition parties did not stop.
PTI MNA Amir Dogar said that there will be no compromise on accountability, saying if a person is found involved in corruption no matter which political party he is associated to, he will be made accountable.
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