The PML-N government devised Terms of Reference (ToRs) vis-à-vis judicial commission to probe Panama papers leak in a way that whole process of the accountability should be stalled.
Meanwhile, PPP and PTI have rejected the government’s ToRs and decided to hold a meeting of all opposition parties on May 2 to formulate a joint strategy on ‘Panama Papers’.
On the other side, Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed says Imran Khan is taking a U-turn on his demand of judicial commission. PTI chief, Imran Khan on party’s Foundation Day said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has to go as he has lost moral grounds to remain in power after the disclosure of off shore accounts of his family.
Currently, there is dire need to build a consensus on ToRs to avoid political anarchy as investigation depends on these references. It baseless to add in the ToRs the commission will also probe the cases like loan write-off while the commission should focus on the offshore accounts of the Sharif family to determine legality of their assets otherwise the commission could take several years to complete its task.
The commission can reach a conclusion within days if source of income of the Sharif family and money trail are investigated sincerely. This is a simple matter of investigating money trail and source of income but requires will power to reach the conclusion. The commission must be bound to complete its task within given time.
The government ought to approach the opposition parties to discuss thread bare the new ToRs of the commission after PPP and PTI rejected the ToRs contained in the letter sent by the government to the Chief Justice of Pakistan. What may be, the issue should be amicably sorted out.
Inam ul Haq
Chakwal