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  Pak PM Sharif to make policy statement on Panama leaks

Pak PM Sharif to make policy statement on Panama leaks

Published : May 16, 2016, 7:09 am IST
Updated : May 16, 2016, 7:09 am IST

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will make a policy statement over the Panama leaks in the National Assembly on Monday.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (Photo: AP)
 Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (Photo: AP)

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will make a policy statement over the Panama leaks in the National Assembly on Monday. The officials said that a decision for an indiscriminate accountability of corrupt politicians will be made, be it the government or the opposition and added that the accountability process will be conducted in two phases.

In the first phase, new Terms of Reference (TOR) will be decided upon and an investigation of the Panama Papers will be conducted. In the second phase, an accountability commission will be formed on permanent basis which will conduct against the corrupt politicians, for which the government will form legislation with the opposition. Decisions of the accountability commission will be implemented on immediate basis and those accused will not be able to become a part of the Parliament in the future, said the officials.

The government had completed the discussion on the matter with its legal advisors, said a senior government official, adding that the announcement of these developments is expected on Monday during PM’s address in the National Assembly.

However, former Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, in a news conference, has asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down. He asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign to ensure fair investigations into the Panama leaks. “If the Prime Minister does not resign, then the tensions will rise further,” he said.

The former Chief Justice said that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) held a majority in the parliament hence Mr Sharif had the option to make anyone the Prime Minister.

On the subject of Panama leaks, Mr Chaudhry said that there was no political party in Pakistan which stood for accountability since everyone was involved in corruption, one way or the other.

“No party in Pakistan stands for ruthless accountability,” he said. “Whether it be possessing financial wealth, properties abroad or tax evasion, everyone is involved seems to be involved in corruption,” he added.

The former Chief Justice said that currently, there were strangers in the parliament.

Meanwhile, information minister Pervez Rashid Pakistan also strongly criticised Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in the same conference, asking him to show the details of his offshore company — Niazi Services Limited — set up in England.

Addressing the conference after Imran Khan admitted that he had set up an offshore company —-Niazi Services Limited-— in 1983 on the advice of his accountant in England to avoid paying taxes, Mr Rashid asked Imran Khan why he had set up offshore company and had not disclosed it yet.

“Also what is the income of the company and how much property has he purchased with this income,” he questioned, aserting that Mr Khan is answerable to people, parliament and Chief Justice over offshore company.

Mr Rashid said Imran Khan was pointing fingers at others, however, the number of PTI members who owned offshore companies were more as compared to others

He also said that all six men including Imran Khan, Jahangir Tareen, Aleem Khan and others have admitted they own offshore companies and added that neither the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif nor any ruling party’s minister or lawmaker own offshore company.

Location: Pakistan, Islamabad