Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Anwer Zaheer Jamali’s refusal to form a judicial commission over Panama Leaks on the basis of the government’s proposed Terms of Reference (ToRs) could further intricate things for the embattled prime minister, as the opposition political parties have taken a unanimous stance regarding the issue.
The opposition parties in their response have termed the chief justice’s refusal to constitute the commission as vindication of their stance.
Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah said that the Supreme Court fully supported the opposition’s stance related to Panama Leaks issue.
He said that the CJP’s decision has vindicated the opposition’s stance to conduct legislation in the parliament so the issue can be resolved once and for all.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) spokesman Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the government rejected the opposition’s TORs without reading them, and therefore they had to face such a situation.
He said the opposition parties are united over the issue of Panama Leaks and that the government will have to give serious consideration to the opposition’s point of view.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that that the CJP’s response to the government’s letter was endorsement of the PTI’s stance on the Panama Papers issue.
He said that from day one, PTI believed that the government’s TORs are no answer to the issue; hence joint TORs are inevitable for establishment of a viable judicial commission.
Qureshi said that formation of a commission under 1956 Act would be useless and that is why the opposition demanded an act of law for formation of the commission.
The PTI leader further said that the future course of action would be unveiled in the joint opposition meeting scheduled for Monday.
He said that the government was left with no option but to sit with the opposition to find out a mutually agreed solution to the problem.
PTI MNA Asad Umer said that the government completely failed to tackle the issue.
He said that the government should avoid delaying tactics and that the premier should immediately accept the opposition’s demand of formation of an independent and powerful commission to probe the Panama scandal.
Awami Muslim League (AML) leader Sheikh Rashid termed CJP’s decision as the opposition’s victory, adding that the government has now entered a blind street due to its non-serious attitude.
Federal Minister for Water and Power and Defence Khawaja Asif took to twitter and said that the Supreme Court’s response to government’s letter about the commission to probe Panama Leaks is natural.
His remarks came just after the apex court rejected government’s request seeking formation of Supreme Court’s commission under Chief Justice of Pakistan for investigation of Panama Papers leaks.
Mentioning three reasons behind the refusal, Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali says formation of commission under 1956 Act, as demanded by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif through a letter to the apex court last month, will be ‘limited in scope’ and ‘toothless.’
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is under tremendous pressure from the opposition to step down since his sons and a daughter has been named in Panama Papers.
The premier is likely to address National Assembly on Monday to clarify his position.