- Railways minister invites opposition parties to sit with government for formulating a comprehensive piece of legislation for Panama probe
Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, while strongly defending National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, said on Thursday that the speaker was dispensing his duty with honesty and impartiality.
He said the speaker’s decision on the disqualification references filed against the prime minister and PTI chairman was correct and that the House had endorsed his decision.
Responding to criticism of the PTI chairman, the minister said Imran Khan was in a habit of attacking the speaker, recalling that he had also hurled allegations of rigging against him. But, he said, it was the same speaker who had not accepted the resignations of PTI lawmakers.
On the references filed against the prime minister, the railways minister said that the four references furnished before the speaker did not carry any documentary evidence, so the speaker did not find it appropriate to forward the references to the ECP.
He further said that the speaker had rejected one reference against the PTI chairman and forwarded the second one to the ECP having substantial evidence against Khan.
Rafique said that Imran Khan had himself founded offshore companies, but he never got tired of hurling accusations on others. He said the government was ready to sit with opposition parties to chalk out a way forward as regards an investigation into the Panama Leaks.
The minister said the opposition parties had during their talks with a government bloc observed that the investigation should not be person-specific.
Rafique invited the opposition parties to sit with the government for formulating a comprehensive piece of legislation for an investigation into the Panama Leaks and other corrupt practices. He said that investigation should not be person-specific, adding that “we should introduce such a legislation which could not only investigate corruption of the past, but also shut doors on malpractices in the future”.
The minister also asked PTI chief Imran Khan to stop politics of allegations and mud-slinging and demonstrate maturity in his politics.
