Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Friday said that decision of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regarding Rana Tanvir Hussian's appointment as PAC chairman is unacceptable to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and sought explanation from PML-N over the 'sudden change of guard.'
Speaking at a news conference, Qureshi, who is vice chairman of PTI and deputy parliamentary leader of the party in National Assembly, said that the entire nation including the PML-N is in a state of shock over the decision taken by 'a gang of four.'
He said that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is an important body in the Parliament and sudden reshuffling of its leadership will impact parliamentary proceedings, adding the change of guard in the PML-N is its internal matter.
However, the change of leader of the opposition in the National Assembly becomes a significant issue, he said, adding that Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently in London, has neither indicated to return back nor to stay abroad.
He said it also becomes relevant because Shehbaz is also member of the National Parliamentary Committee on National Security and speculations are rising regarding the possibility of a 'deal' by the PML-N leadership.
Questioning the appointment of Rana Tanvir as the PAC chairman, Qureshi said that the PML-N had earlier adopted the stance that Shehbaz should be appointed as the PAC chairman as per the Charter of Democracy (COD) it had signed with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
In the COD, they had agreed that leader of the opposition in National Assembly will head the PAC, now as Shehbaz, who is leader of the opposition, stepped down as the PAC chairman on the grounds of his health conditions, how he can be able to continue as the leader of the opposition in the Lower House.
Furthermore, he stated that Tanvir is not the opposition leader. "Why is not the COD applied here?" he questioned.
"Our stance has been very clear since day first, the COD does not apply on the PTI. Why Rana Tanvir...somebody else can also be appointed. But we can hold talks. We will definitely hold consultations within the party and also with our coalition partners," he said, indicating the PTI's position not to accept Tanvir as the PAC chairman.
He said that Secretary Information PPP Nafeesa Shah had also stated that the PPP was not taken on board on the appointment of Tanvir as the PAC chairman. "Even if the PPP accepts the decision, we are not binding to it. If they accept Tanvir as the chairman PAC, then why the COD is only applicable in the Centre and why not in the Sindh, where the same position was denied to be given to the PTI's leader of the opposition," Qureshi added.
"There are a lot of speculations. Even seniors leaders within the PML-N including Raja Zafar-ul-Haq are in a stake of shock. The people are also talking about some deal and we urge the PML-N to come up with explanation in the National Assembly's session on Monday," he asserted.
"As deputy parliamentary leader of the PTI, I expect that the PML-N will give plausible answers to all the questions that have risen from Shehbaz's decision," he said, adding that in the past too Sharif had been denying to have stricken any deal but it was later revealed that they had left the country after the 1999 coup and shifted to Saudi Arabia under a deal.
He said that the people are speculating that Shehbaz will also be stepping down as leader of the opposition and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will replace him and he is also being made vice president of the party, even though the party has denied these reports.
"The PML-N has the authority to decide which worker they want to promote. It is their internal matter. But some decisions are not just limited to their party. They are related to the Parliament and can become a problem for all of us," he added.
Qureshi pointed out that the opposition parties including the PML-N raised questioned over the recent cabinet reshuffle which is a global traditional in the parliamentary democracy and there would also be more changes in the cabinet which is the authority of the Prime Minister to make any changes in his team.
"Maybe none of these speculations are true. We don't know, but the PML-N needs to come up with explanations," he added.
To a question, Qureshi rejected the speculations about the alleged efforts for presidential system of the government, adding how current system can be replaced with presidential system without bringing constitutional amendment which requires two-third majority while at present no party is in the position.
Secondly, he referred to the concern by the PPP about 18th Constitutional Amendment, making it clear that no efforts are being made to rollback the 18th Amendment.
To a question, he said that former Finance Minister Asad Umar is an asset of the PTI and he will continue to be an important leader of the party.
Qureshi also rejected the impression of differences within the PTI, adding that Jahangir Tareen did not attend the party convention on May 1 because he was in Lahore for a meeting on the new local body system and Asad Umar was in Hunza along with his family.
To another query about Indian atrocities in Indian-held Kashmir and the ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC), he said that India is deliberately heightening the tension on the border while the Indian forces are subjecting Kashmiris to worst human rights violations.
Responding to another question about his recent visit to Japan, he said that it is after the gap of seven years Pakistan's foreign minister visited Japan, adding that there was major breakthrough in his visit to the country.
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