Govt, Opp come to terms on Panama enquiry

• Both sides agree on 12-member TOR committee to probe Panama Papers
• Shah trashes PM’s tax record, demands answers from Nawaz Sharif; Khan is convinced of PM’s guilt, offers answers of his own regarding his offshore company
• Pervaiz Rahid says committee will probe Panama Papers, kickbacks and loan write-offs; Asif says those demanding accountability aren’t clean either

The federal government and the opposition on Wednesday agreed to form a 12 member committee in order to draft joint Terms of Reference (TORs) for an enquiry commission to probe the Panama Leaks.

But despite the government and the opposition reaching a barebones agreement on the highly sticky issue, there was very little to suggest that the larger gulf between the various points of view is going to be bridged anytime soon.

For now, both the government and the opposition are sticking to their own agendas, with the government saying the committee will finalise TORs to probe Panama Leaks as well as kickbacks and loan write-offs, while the opposition is still focusing on making the prime minister the focus of the enquiry.

“The government will name six legislators while the opposition will name another six to form the parliamentary committee,” Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid told media after meeting the opposition members.

“A motion will be passed on Thursday in the assembly to legalise the committee’s status,” he said.

The opposition has named PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi, QWP chief Aftab Sherpao, JI’s Sahibzada Tariqullah, ANP’s Ghulam Ahmed Bilour and PML-Q’s Tariq Basheer Cheema as its six members for the committee.

Answering a question, Rashid said that the committee will suggest measures to investigate allegations relating to Panama Papers and to develop a system which paves the way to probe those involved in receiving kickbacks and illegal loan-write offs.

Rashid said the government is ready to act on the demands of Khursheed Shah which he made during his speech in the National Assembly session earlier.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during his speech in the National Assembly on Monday, had suggested forming a joint committee to draft the TORs. While the opposition staged an immediate walkout from the House for not getting answers from the prime minister to their questions, they letter ended the boycott and agreed to participate in the committee announced by the premier.

HOPING AGAINST HOPE, THE OPPOSITION:

Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Ahmed Shah told a packed Lower House that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had no need to address the assembly if his name was not mentioned in Panama Papers.

“By addressing the assembly, the premier raised many more questions, and did not answer the seven questions we had put forth,” said Shah.

“More questions were raised as we got different statements from him every time. Who or what should we believe?”

With no more protests scheduled against the government by the opposition, their leverage, which was never too overwhelming for the government except in the first few days after the release of the Panama Papers, has now slipped even further.

Shah reminded the House during his speech that the opposition has intentionally not indulged in calling anyone a thief or going back to politics of the ’90s, as such remarks only weaken the democratic government and benefit other ‘interests’. He did not specify which ‘interests’ he was referring to.

“We were told that money was taken abroad in 1972, when Ittefaq Foundry was being privatised, and was invested in a new venture named Gulf Steel,” said Shah.

He questioned the source of the money transferred abroad, as the premier had earlier stated that they had lost everything when privatisation took hold during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s government.

“If you had nothing at that time, and your name was not in the list of Pakistan’s 22 richest families, then should we not question how you obtained and transferred the funds?” Shah said.

He said that Gulf Steel was mentioned for the first time ever by the prime minister during his speech earlier this week.

‘QUAID-E-AZAM PAID MORE TAX THAN YOU… IN 1948’:

Bringing the discussion back to the documents presented by the premier earlier this week, Shah questioned the tax paid by 12 companies, owned by the Sharif family.

“In 23 years, 12 companies owned by you paid only Rs 1 billion in tax?”

The information comes from the documents which you presented, and submitted to this House, added Shah.

Moving onto Nawaz’s income tax records, the leader of the opposition again questioned the premier regarding taxes paid.

“In 14 years, you only paid income tax amounting to Rs 0.6 million,” Shah said, emphasising on 14 years.

It does not even amount to Rs 40,000 per annum, explained Shah, adding that the premier himself presented these figures, raising more questions over the prime minister’s tax history.

“In 1994 you paid Rs 2,000 in tax, in 1995 you paid no taxes and 1997 you paid Rs 50,000 in tax,” Shah said, and added, “Officially an MNA pays around Rs 50,000 in tax.”

“Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, paid Rs 4,400 tax a year after founding the country. How come Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pays Rs 2,700 in 1993,” he asked.

SHAH WANTS THE ISSUE RESOLVED, SOMEHOW:

Shah emphasised that the matter needs to be resolved, in order to protect democratic institutions in the country.

“It is in everyone’s interest to strengthen the parliament through accountability of everyone,” Shah said.

He reminded PM Nawaz that it is his obligation to safeguard every penny of the people’s money.

“You are seen to be failing in your obligation.”

“The Supreme Court has seconded what we have said. We said, let’s sit down, make the TORs together, give the Supreme Court the power through an amendment to solve this issue,” said the leader of the opposition.

Shah reminded those present that it is in everyone’s interest to solve the issue. He also said that everyone should be held accountable including those who had their loans forgiven or have absconded due to financial scandals.

KHAN SAYS IT’S OPPOSITION’S JOB TO KEEP A CHECK ON GOVT:

Taking the floor of the House, PTI Chairman Imran Khan stated that it is the opposition’s responsibility to keep the government in check, and criticise the government when it deviates from democratic norms.

“When the incumbent government does not use public funds in a proper manner, it is the opposition which criticises the government,” said Imran.

“It was a unanimous decision of the opposition to walk out of parliament if the premier did not address the questions we had raised,” said Imran.

Imran also challenged all those present to show one private cancer hospital in the world which treats 70 per cent of its patients for free.

KHAN EXPLAINS WHY HIS OFFSHORE COMPANY WAS NOT A CRIME BUT THE PM’S IS:

The PTI chief was of the opinion that if the offshore companies connected to PM Nawaz’s family did not own properties worth billions, then they would have been irrelevant and no issues would have been raised regarding their existence, hinting on the fact that his own offshore company had very little capital while the PM’s were huge and they were still active.

“The offshore companies would have been irrelevant, but they are not, as assets worth billions are linked to them.”

Making another distinction between himself and the prime minister, Imran said that he never hid any assets, including assets connected to offshore companies.

“I was interviewed in the South Kensington apartment, the whole world knew it was my property. I hid nothing,” Imran said.

KHAN TRIES TO PUT BACK THE SHATTERED GLASS:

The PTI chief informed the House that he will present documents today (Thursday), which will clarify the purchase cost and eventual sale price of his apartment in 2003. He added that he brought funds back to Pakistan through legal channels and did not hide the source.

Recalling a light-hearted exchange with Nawaz Sharif, Imran said he remembers clearly when he told Nawaz of his apartment years ago.

“I told Nawaz that I’ve bought a penthouse apartment and he asked me what a penthouse apartment was. I told him it’s the apartment on the top floor. Nawaz expressed concern and asked, ‘would a storm not blow away your apartment?’”

THREE YEARS ON, KHAN STILL WONDERS WHY PM HASN’T RESIGNED ALREADY:

Imran said the prime minister should have resigned following his address to the assembly, as his address was a misrepresentation of facts.

“Nawaz Sharif said he had no connection with the offshore companies. But he did have a connection, as Maryam Safdar in 2011 stated that she was his dependant, while ICIJ [International Consortium of Investigative Journalists] has released documents which show she owned two offshore companies during that time,” said the PTI chief.

The two offshore companies owned Mayfair apartments, hence it is incorrect to say that Nawaz had no connection as he was her guardian, added Imran.

“The prime minister also stated that he paid Rs 1 billion in tax for the 12 companies owned. But Rs 0.8 billion out of amount was General Sales Tax (GST), which is paid by the people. How can he claim that the amount is his own?” questioned Imran while agreeing with Khursheed Shah’s earlier statement.

“If we question you, and you are the prime minister with whom executive authority lies, you are answerable to us. You can’t just throw counter allegations at us,” Imran said while criticising the premier’s address.

Democratic societies have transparency, and the leaders of democratic states are answerable to the people and the opposition at all times, added the PTI chief.

‘SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST SKMCH’:

Referring to repeated attacks against Shaukat Kahnum Hospital by the government, Imran questioned the government’s strategy of running a smear campaign against a charitable organisation which provides free cancer treatment, in the absence of government facilities.

“You are the government, you have investigative agencies under your command, if you suspect any wrongdoing in SKMCH, than you are more than welcome to investigate,” Imran said.

Imran Khan also announced to present all the accounts of SKMCH for accountability.

“The TORs that are going to be put forward, I urge you to put SKMCH in it. Investigate all its accounts,” Khan said.

‘YOU’RE DIRTY TOO, WHICH MEANS I’M CLEAN’:

From the government’s side, Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that a battle of accusations has continued since the Panama Papers surfaced and that it would have been better if consensus was reached through the parliament’s platform.

Asif said that the parliament is the most supreme and respectable institution, and it should itself investigate the Panama Leaks issue.

“If the parliament was weak in the past, we should take responsibility for it,” he said, and added that Panama Papers had revealed a lot of names, the spotlight had been placed on the politicians.

The federal minister lambasted PTI Chairman Imran Khan in his speech and said:

“He [Imran Khan] has his own offshore company and since the Panama scandal surfaced he kept on criticising those named, but never mentioned his own company in Jersey.”

“An offshore company in Panama is no different than the one is Jersey. An offshore company remains an offshore company no matter what,” he said.

“Those who are asking for accountability should be clean themselves. Those who hurl stones at others should not be tainted with the same sins they accuse others of committing,” said the federal minister.

Khawaja Asif claimed that Imran Khan’s Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre did not publish its balance sheet for three years. He called on the PTI chairman to present himself for accountability too.