ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif announced on Saturday to step down as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament.

Responding to questions put to him by reporters at the Parliament House, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president said his party has suggested MNA Rana Tanveer’s name for the slot of the committee’s chairmanship.

To a question about why meetings of the PAC – an apex parliamentary watchdog – are not being called, he said: “The party has decided that Rana Tanveer will be the committee’s chairman. I will have to abide by its decision.”

Mr Sharif said opposition parties have decided to resign as members of the parliamentary committee formed to probe into the alleged rigging in the 2018 elections. He demanded that mid-term elections be conducted in the country.

“We will completely support [JUI-F chief] Maulana Fazlur Rehman with whom we enjoy good relations,” he said.

The PML-N president stressed the need for taking key decisions with consensus, adding discipline is necessary even there exit differences among parties.

About his elder brother Nawaz Sharif, he said the former prime minister was billed as traitor when he talked about peace and development in the region, adding that he was carrying forward his brother’s philosophy.

The opposition leader also expressed concern over growing cases of polio virus in the country. —INP