The deadlock on the term of reference (ToR) for an investigation into the Panama leaks continues. The fourth meeting of the special parliamentary committee to discuss ToRs acceptable to all sides held on Tuesday could not reach a consensus. Both government officials and opposition leaders have been accusing each other on different issues. Moreover, the illness of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has given the government leverage to delay the process. On the request of Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo and Federal Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani, who was participating in the meeting for the first time, the meeting was postponed without any progress keeping in view the open-heart surgery of Mr Sharif. Earlier, the opposition had recorded their protest against the statements of some ministers, including Khawaja Saad Rafiq, during the last meeting of the parliamentary committee. The next session of the special parliamentary committee has been postponed until June 4 because of Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s commitments relating to the federal budget and the joint session of parliament. So far the performance of the committee has not been satisfactory. Government is on the back foot at the moment, but it should cooperate with the committee in a more substantial way. The attitude of government officials, on the surface, has been cooperative in resolving the pending issues. Although government is swamped with multiple issues, both internally and externally, it seems to be using each issue as a tactic to delay the process. Senator Aitzaz Ahsan expressed disappointment in the attitude of government officials after they did not respond to the ToRs presented by the opposition after they had promised in the last meeting to give a satisfactory response. The prime minister of the country is in London, recuperating from a open-heart surgery. Notwithstanding political and other points of disagreement, the whole country has wished him well for a quick recovery. Mr Sharif has been chaired some cabinet meetings through a video link. Government officials should not use the ‘sentiment card’ to delay the process. It might give them a little time, but the country cannot afford another ‘dharna’ (sit-in protest) situation from the opposition parties as witnessed during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led protests in 2014. The Panama leaks is a serious issue, and all persons mentioned in the Panama Papers are ansewerable to the nation. The stature of a country is gauged primarily by the strength of its economy. At a point in time when Pakistan is seeking loans to repay earlier loans, it is criminal on the part of the leaders to store their wealth in offshore accounts to evade taxes. The tax culture in the country is in chaos already as merely one percent of the population pays taxes. If the wealthy are allowed to avoid taxes through unsavoury means, it would be very difficult to see any improvement in the financial sector of the cash-strapped country. Therefore, to strengthen democracy and for the system of transparency and accountability to be gain credibility, government should play its part and cooperate with the opposition parties on the issue to reach a conclusion that is fair, pragmatic and farsighted. *