NA speaker turns down Shehbaz’s request to nominate Rafique as PAC member

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar on Thursday turned down Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif’s recommendation to nominate Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Khawaja Saad Rafique as a member of Public Accounts Committee, sources informed media news.

The PML-N, earlier, decided to nominate the former railway minister as a PAC member in view of giving him maximum relief by getting his production order for the meetings.

Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique are in the National Accountability Bureau’s custody in the Paragon Housing scam.

The PML-N leader and his brother were arrested after the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected their request for an extension in their pre-arrest bail in the case pertaining to the housing society scam.

“The court’s decision confirmed substantive evidence against NAB suspects,” the accountability watchdog spokesperson said.

The speaker has taken the view that Rafique’s nomination in the PAC merely on giving him relief from the NAB is unjustified, and won’t give a good message.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has accepted Railways Minister Shiekh Rashid’s request to nominate him as a PAC member.