Shehbaz Sharif's PAC chairmanship challenged in LHC

The Lahore High Court (LHC) was moved on Friday against the appointment of Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The petitioner, Advocate Azhar Siddiqui, has named the federal government and National Assembly speaker as respondents in his plea.

In his petition, Advocate Siddiqui states, “Shehbaz is not fit for the position as he is facing corruption allegations.”

The petitioner requested the LHC to declare Shehbaz’s PAC chairman appointment as null and void.

Shehbaz, who is in the custody of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), was elected as PAC chairman unopposed on December 21. His name for the post of committee chairman was suggested by lawmaker Sheikh Rohail Asghar and confirmed by Mushahid Hussain.

A day earlier, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser issued a production order for Shehbaz to chair the first meeting of the PAC today.

Earlier this month, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government conceded the chairmanship of PAC to Shehbaz, almost three months after a stalemate over the key position.

The PTI government had long stuck to its stance that the opposition should come up with any name other than Shehbaz's for the chairmanship as he is accused in the Ashiana Housing scandal, but the opposition was of the view that past traditions of the National Assembly should be honoured.