Seven months’ gape, Chan elected a PAC Chairman unanimously.

AKRAM ABID
Islamabad, April 25: PAC met here after some seven months’ gape to elect new chairman as former Chairman tendered resignation from his office due to mounting differences with the government and other concerned offices.

Chief Whip of PPP Syed Khurshid Shah, while beginning the proceedings of the committee, lauded the services and role of former Chairman PAC in enhancing the performance of committee.

He said that office of the PAC Chairman was given to opposition for the first time in parliamentary history of the country in lieu with ‘Charter of Democracy’ signed by two former Premiers of Pakistan i.e late Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif.

He observed that after resignation of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, slot of PAC chairman was lying vacant. “We wrote letter to Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to retain his office, but he refused” he remarked adding, “We also asked him to nominate any other member of his party as Chairman PAC, but no response”.

So, he said that party leadership conveyed me to nominate Nadeem Afzal Gondal as new Chairman PAC. Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada proposed Gondal’s name while other members seconded him. Thus he was elected new chairman PAC unopposed.

Secretary National Assembly Karamat Hussain Niazi administered the proceedings of the PAC.

While giving his maiden address to committee, Gondal paid rich tribute to the services rendered by previous chairman PAC Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and reiterated his commitment to take forward the precedents and trends set by PAC.

 He said that PAC had been taking decisions unanimously and he would run the proceedings of the committee in same manner and decisions would be taken above party lines.

“Perhaps, my party had nominated me as PAC Chairman just because that I am opposition within my party” he commented while thanking party Co.Chairman, party leadership and committee members for reposing confidence in him.

Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Shahnaz Sheikh, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Asiya Nasir, Noor ul Haq Qadri and others congratulated Nadeem Afzal Gondal for his election as Chairman PAC. They also paid rich tribute to the way Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan conducted the proceedings of the PAC.

Besides above mentioned members, Yasmeen Rehman, Noor Alma Khan, Abid Sher Ali, Saeed Ahmad Zafar, Rukhsana Bangash, Hamid Yar Hiraj, officials from National Assembly Secretariat and Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) were also present in the meeting.