Opposition sets condition to omit PM Nawaz's name from Panama leaks probe
Investigation will start with premier's family only his name would be omitted, says Aitzaz Ahsan
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Leader of the Opposition in Senate, Aitzaz Ahsan has offered Friday to omit Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s name from Panama leaks investigation if the government assures to accept joint opposition’s Terms of References without any change.
Ahsan offered an explanation today to his previous statement of being willing to omit Prime Minister’ name from investigation of Panama leaks involving his family.
According to Ahsan, the joint opposition has defined ‘family’ in the proposed Terms of References. In opposition’s view, investigation of accused person’s family will include his parents, spouse, children, and grandchildren.
Clearing out the confusion, Ahsan said that Nawaz Sharif’s name, written separately in the proposed TORs will be deleted but investigation would start with his family.
Hussain Nawaz and Maryam Safdar were named by Panama Papers for owning offshore companies, he said adding that premier’s name, individually, would be deleted but would remain there indirectly because of the relation with Hussain and Maryam.
The opposition has offered to negotiate two of the 15 Terms of References however, probe of Nawaz Sharif s family would be concluded in three months, he added while talking to the media in Parliament House.
On the other hand, spokesperson for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Naeemul Haq opposed Aitzaz Ahsan’s statement saying that opposition parties have not reached a consensus over premier’s name exclusion.
Confusion was observed among different sections after Ahsan’s previous statement in which he accepted to exclude Nawaz Sharif’s name to propose more issue-specific demands as called by the government.
Separately, the government has superseded Defense Minister Khawaja Asif with Law Minister Zahid Hamid as member of the parliamentary committee. Opposition and the government have contributed six members each in the committee.
Panama Papers had released data of a law firm, Mossack Fonseca which was leaked by an anonymous source. The data was studied by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and then published with related documents.
Around 140 leaders of the world were named in the leaks for owning offshore companies however, Nawaz Sharif was alleged by the opposition to have established the shell entities to evade taxes and stash money in banks abroad.
A parliamentary committee was formed with consensus of the government and the opposition to put together joint TORs aiming at probe of the leaks.
Watch Aitzaz Ahsan clear the confusion:
