Why is Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan asking his own party's PAC chief to resign?

In a surprising twist of internal party dynamics, former prime minister and jailed PTI founder Imran Khan has asked the head of Pakistan’s most powerful parliamentary watchdog -- the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) -- to step down, just three months after his unopposed appointment.

Junaid Akbar, a senior member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was elected as PAC chairman in January following weeks of political wrangling. His nomination had marked a symbolic win for the embattled opposition party.

However, Imran has now called on Akbar to relinquish the post to focus on party affairs, signaling a possible reshuffle in the PTI’s parliamentary strategy.

The PAC is a key parliamentary body responsible for overseeing government expenditures to ensure public funds are used properly. It examines audit reports prepared by the auditor general of Pakistan and calls officials to account for financial irregularities.

While it can summon bureaucrats and demand explanations, it cannot impose penalties or take direct legal action -- its role is advisory and recommendatory. The PAC reports its findings to the National Assembly, which may then decide on further action.

Speaking to Nukta, PTI Information Secretary Waqas Akram Sheikh confirmed that Imran -- currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail -- has instructed Akbar to step down in order to take on a more pressing political assignment: mobilizing the party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and preparing the ground for a nationwide anti-government movement.

The ‘inside story’

During a recent jail visit, Imran Khan reportedly asked his sisters, Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan, about the status of the protest movement that was meant to launch after Eid. His third sister, Aleema Khan, was denied permission to meet him and was not present during the conversation.

Sources familiar with the exchange told Nuktathat Imran reminded them of the earlier decision to begin the campaign post-Eid and questioned why no progress had been made.

In response, Uzma is said to have informed him that no concrete steps had been taken so far. This reportedly prompted Imran to issue immediate instructions that Akbar should vacate the PAC chairmanship and instead focus his energy on energizing the party’s base in KP and leading preparations for the anti-government movement.

However, internal resistance appears to be growing. Party insiders claim that Akbar -- along with his allies, including senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser -- is reluctant to give up the post, viewing it as a stable and influential position within the current political setup.

Responding to a question by Nukta during her press talk today, Imran’s sister Aleema reiterated that her brother had clearly directed Akbar to focus on party mobilization in KP and hand over the PAC role to Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan. “These were Imran Khan’s exact words, which have been communicated to the party,” she said.

When asked about Akbar’s apparent denial of receiving any such directive, Aleema responded, “If Imran’s own sisters can’t be trusted, then I really don’t know what to say.”

Senior PTI leader Salman Akram Raja, when contacted for comment, said the matter is “internal” and declined to offer a comment at this stage.

For its part, the National Assembly Secretariat has said that it has not yet received any formal resignation or nomination request from either the opposition or PTI.

According to sources, the process would require the current PAC chair to step down first, followed by an official nomination from the opposition -- neither of which has happened so far.