ISLAMABAD: Newly appointed federal minister Rana Tanveer, who is also the Public Accounts Committee chairman, set a new precedent by chairing the PAC.
According to a media report, this ignited a debate as Rana Tanveer technically committed a violation of Rules and Procedure of and Conduct of the Business of National Assembly 2007, as a minister is not authorised to chair the PAC.
It has been clearly stated under rule 216 of the Rules and Procedure of the Business of the National Assembly, 2007, that no federal minister can be elected as the chairman of any Standing Committee or chair any committee.
Rana Tanveer had recently announced that he would continue as the chairman of the PAC till the new Public Accounts Committee is composed. However, no one from the opposition members in the PAC has raised an objection to the issue.
The situation converges with the fact that there is no opposition leader in the National Assembly following the resignations of the members of the PTI, as the matter of acceptance of their resignations still hangs in the balance despite the speaker de-sealing their resignations.
When contacted, former Secretary of Public Accounts Committee Tahir Hanfi came to the rescue of Rana Tanveer, saying that there is no Leader of the Opposition as yet and that is why Rana Tanveer presided over the meeting.
“In the interim, he has temporarily presided,” he said. However, he cannot examine the audit paras related to the ministry headed by him. But ideally, he should have resigned from the PAC and informed the speaker about it, the former PAC official said.
