At last after a delay of more than two months, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq finally formed 40 standing committees, including the most powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The standing committees play a crucial role in overseeing and holding the performance of each and every ministry and government accountable. In parliamentary democracies, standing committees are considered the “eyes, ears, hands, and brain” of the parliament. As a matter of fact, the standing committees review bills presented by the different MNAs in the National Assembly for legislation. The relevant standing committee after thorough discussion on it presents its recommendations on the specific bill for further debate in the house.
Under the rules and regulation, it is mandatory to elect all standing committees and their members through the assembly within thirty days after the election of the Prime Minister, which took place on 3rd March .
Although the notification issued by the National Assembly’s Secretariat did not show the names of the committee heads, reports indicate that according to the agreed formula, the opposition Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) might be given the chairmanship of some 10 committees, including the most important Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which keep an eye on the income and expenditures of the government through audit reports provided by Auditor General of Pakistan.
In addition, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) will receive 13 chairmanships, while the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) will receive eight and two chairmanships, respectively. The chairmanships of the remaining committees will be distributed among the parties, which are allied partners in the ruling coalition.
According to the notification the standing committees set up by the Speaker National Assembly are the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as well as standing committees on Aviation, Cabinet Division, Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Commerce, Communications, Defense, Defense Production, Economic Affairs Division, Energy and Petroleum Division, Federal Education, Professional Training, National Heritage, and Culture, Finance and Revenue, Foreign Affairs, Government Assurances, Housing and Works, Law and Justice, Industries and Production, Information and Broadcasting, Information Technology and Telecommunication, Interior, Inter-Provincial Coordination, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Maritime Affairs, Narcotics Control, National Food Security and Research, National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Energy Power Division, Privatization, Railways, Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Rules and Procedures and Privileges, Science and Technology, States and Frontier Regions, Water Resources, House and Library.
Earlier, PML-N’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, Irfan Siddiqui, was unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Initially, Sher Afzal Marwat was nominated for the position of Chairman Public Accounts Committee (PAC) by the leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaf (PTI). However, after his one controversial statement, PTI later decided to nominate Sheikh Waqas Akram for the position.
As per the rules of procedure, it is the prerogative of the opposition party to nominate any member from the opposition bench for the post of Chairman Public Accounts Committee.