Opposition rejects formation of retired-judge commission
PPP, PTI, JI and other parties say Panama Papers need genuine probe
islamabad — Major opposition parties have rejected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s offer to name a former Supreme Court judge to hold probe into allegations of wrongdoing by his family as portrayed in Panama Papers leaks.
Labelling the premier’s announcement in a telecast speech on Tuesday night as “one-man commission’, leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaaf (PTi), the Jamaat-e-islami (Ji) and other parties said the leaks have raised awkward questions and not made allegations against PM’s children. They said these questions need documentary answers in a genuine inquiry.
The PPP termed the premier’s address as “most unfortunate,” because he “blamed his woes on the policies of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto to deflect the storm brewing as a result of the Panama Papers.”
“instead of answering questions raised in the leaked documents, the PM resorted to a blame-game against PPP leaders,” Farhatullah Babar, the party’s spokesperson, said in a statement issued soon after the PM’s address.
Responding to the PM’s claims regarding the detention of the cargo ship Babar said, “He conveniently forgot that the cargo ship was held up by customs authorities after it was found to be carrying a sugar plant instead of the intended steel scrap cargo.”
The prime minister, Babar said, would do well to answer questions raised by the leaked documents, rather than playing a blame game.
Talking to a private TV channel, PTi leader Asad Umar said that the whole nation is disappointed over the “one-member judicial commission” formed to probe such a critical matter.
“He [PM Nawaz] said whoever has a complaint against him or his family shall go to the commission and prove it, which is a joke since it is the PM who needs to prove his innocence,” said Umar. PTi
instead of answering questions raised in the leaked documents, the pM resorted to a blame game against ppp leaders
Farhatullah Babar, a leader of PPP
spokesman Naeemul Haq, in a statement, said the premier had not specified who would choose the judge to head the proposed judicial commission, or whether it will be empowered to examine Sharifs’ assets abroad as well.
Haq also contended that rather than anyone else having to prove their claims, it was the Sharifs who would have to account for their wealth before the commission.
Ji Amir Sirajul Haq said if the premier sincerely desires a probe, he should immediately hand over the matter to the National Ac-
The pM said whoever has a complaint against him or his family shall go to the commission and prove it, which is a joke
Asad Umar, a leader of PTI
countability Bureau so that the truth is out.
He said given nature of the allegations, inquiry into the matter is not the job of a retired judge. Rather a full-fledged investigation agency should do the task.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of Jamiatul Ulema islam (JUi-F), an ally of Nawaz Sharif, said the prime minister should address the issue in two ways: clear names of his sons if questions raised in the leaked papers were incorrect. Secondly, even if the allegations are wrong, the size of the money stacked abroad is so large that
if the premier sincerely desires a probe, he should immediately hand over the matter to the National accountability Bureau
Sirajul Haq, JI chief
these could pay back country’s loans if brought back to Pakistan.
in an effort to calm the storm whipped up by the revelations contained in the recently-leaked Panama Papers, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his speech on Tuesday night announced that a judicial commission would investigate the offshore companies owned by his children. Leader of the Opposition Syed Khurshid Shah of the PPP, spoke to PTi senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi to hold joint meeting of their parliamentary members on Thursday.