Pakistani Americans living in Washington and neighboring states have expressed their disappointment over attempts to politicise the issue of “Panama Papers”, saying the country is facing far more serious challenges and need unity to counter them.
Some noted lawyers in Washington, who closely follow events in Pakistan, have expressed their surprise over demands by some politicians to appoint the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to head the inquiry on reports of offshore accounts.
Hamid Malik, President, Pakistan Link USA said that the government has already offered to set up a commission which shows their sincerity and intention to bring all facts before the public. He, however, expressed his regrets that many important issues of urgent nature had been ignored just to gain political mileage from the controversy over Panama papers.
“The most important issue of RAW to destabilize Pakistan has been pushed back and for that our political leaders are responsible,” he said referring to the recent arrest of an Indian spy who is reportedly a serving officer of the Indian navy.
Dr. Talha Siddiqui of APPNA (Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America) said that many forces in Pakistan were deliberately or unintentionally damaging Pakistan’s economic development for their vested interests.
“We are very pleased to see that Pakistan is not being taken for granted anymore.”
While supporting the establishment of a commission to look into the reports regarding Panama Papers, he said that this should not be used to discredit the government for the achievements made in the economic and financial sectors, which were duly appreciated by world powers and international donor agencies.
Dr. Akbar S. Ahmed, former Pakistan High Commissioner to Britain and Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, Washington, DC, welcomed the decision by the government to set up a commission to probe the Panama papers issues, but said that during the investigation, the issues should not be used to bring a further bad name to the country.
