By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party is weighing a return to parliamentary standing committees after quitting them last year, but the decision hinges on approval from its jailed founder, Imran Khan, according to a report in the Dawn newspaper.
The move comes days after the appointment of opposition leaders in the Senate and National Assembly, with a majority of PTI figures eager to reclaim key roles, including the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), to challenge government policies they view as controversial.
Political analysts expect Khan to hold off on a final call until after the party’s planned nationwide protest on Feb. 8. PTI had previously chaired over a dozen standing committees in the National Assembly and five in the Senate, while participating in others. The party pulled out of all committees in both houses last August on Khan’s instructions.
Sources within PTI told Dawn that many legislators now regret the withdrawal, arguing it handed the ruling coalition unchecked influence in parliament without meaningful oversight. A senior PTI leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said several critical party decisions are tied to a potential jail meeting between Khan, legislators and his sisters. “The government should arrange a meeting between Imran Khan and party legislators so that he can be convinced that we must rejoin the standing committees,” the leader said. The leader described giving up the PAC chairmanship as unwise, noting the party had previously leveraged the body to highlight alleged government misconduct.
Beyond the PAC, the leader said PTI erred in vacating committees on finance, law and justice, and human rights. The leader pointed to recent police mistreatment of PTI workers and Punjab Assembly members, which was addressed by a privilege committee. In contrast, PTI parliamentarians face similar humiliation but lack access to Senate and National Assembly privilege panels, the leader added.
PTI Chief Whip Aamir Dogar confirmed to Dawn that pending decisions depend on a jail meeting with Khan. Mehmood Achakzai, the new opposition leader in the National Assembly, offered no comment on PTI’s potential return following his first speech in the house. PTI acting chairman Barrister Gohar Ali said the parliamentary committee would decide on rejoining.
Observers draw parallels to Khan’s 2022 choice to resign from parliament after a no-confidence vote ousted him, rather than serving as a strong opposition force. They argue the committee exit created no real parliamentary gap, as quorum needs only one-fourth of members and treasury benches filled PTI vacancies. PTI alone suffered from the decision, they said.
Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, head of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat), said PTI leaders are powerless to act without Khan’s nod, lacking the nerve to challenge him to stay in his favor. Mehboob predicted Khan would evaluate the Feb. 8 protest before deciding. He stressed that democracy demands PTI’s return for effective oversight, but Khan holds ultimate sway. “A lack of opposition representation in these important committees negatively impacts the quality of parliamentary proceedings,” Mehboob said.
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