The federal government and opposition reached a consensus on Thursday over distribution of standing committees' chairmanship just days after the PTI-led coalition government receded the chairmanship of crucial Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif.
Members of the opposition and treasury benches held a detailed meeting at Speaker's chamber to develop consensus over formation of the standing committees. According to the agreed formula, the government and opposition will get the chairmanship of 20 committees each. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's chief whip Malik Amir Dogar also moved a motion in the National Assembly for formation of Public Accounts Committee and Standing Committee on Law and Justice.
The opposition has decided to give nine committees' chairmanship to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, while as many as 10 would be distributed among Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal. The government and opposition also finalised names for the standing committee chairpersons. The treasury benches have named 13 members while the PML-N named six.
The government has reportedly nominated Syed Fakhr Imam, Nasarullah Darshek, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Riaz Fatehana, Malik Amir, Munazza Hasan, Noor Alam, Iqbal Muhammad Ali, Khawaja Sheraz, Raja Riaz, Ijaz Shah and Ali Nawaz Shah. Shahbaz Sharif, Khawaja Asif, Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Tanveer, Sheikh Rohail Asghar and Khawaja Saad Rafique are nominated by the PML-N. The PPP and MMA have yet to name their members for the chairmanship of the committees.