Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) did not waste any time in scoring political points over the redaction by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) as it set the record straight. The ICIJ issued a statement clarifying that its earlier statement might have implied that Nawaz Sharif directly owned offshore companies, but this was not the case, as, rather, his children were the owners. In a country in which nuance is lost on most, the PML-N brazenly took this redaction as complete vindication of its chairman, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and a repudiation of his opponents’ claims. To add to the ‘drama’, the PML-N remains adamant that there is no wrongdoing on the part of Nawaz Sharif as having offshore accounts is considered legal, and all that remains is proving the legality of the wealth that made it to the offshore accounts. This can even be witnessed in the last live address of the prime minister as he focused on the failure of past investigations in proving wrongdoing on his part. Although the PML-N has completely evaded the moral aspect of owning offshore accounts, it appears confident that it will win the legal battle. The opposition, for the most part, has agreed to fight the PML-N in the legal arena as it has raised objections over the Terms of Reference (ToRs) of the letter sent to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Anwar Zaheer Jamali. While it is important to focus on the legal aspects and keep the government on its toes, it is equally important to also hold the prime minister accountable over the moral dimension of being linked to offshore accounts. In a country in which the divide between the rich and the poor is growing at a startling pace, it is reasonable to demand that those who aspire public office must, at least, keep their wealth within Pakistan. The government of Pakistan issued an advertisement in which it attacked the opponents of the prime minister for spreading lies that are spoiling the image of the country, and hence demanded that they apologise. Not only is this an irresponsible use of public funds, it also shows the aggressive posture that the ruling party has adopted over the Panama Papers controversy. Far from being apologetic, the PML-N has instead raised cries of ‘democracy in danger’, and shaped this debate as a battle of democracy against authoritarianism. While it is true that usurpers have historically used such pretences to break the constitution, nevertheless, using it as bait to evade accountability would only serve to undermine democracy rather than strengthen it. As the loudest voices in Pakistan have started to highlight the pitfalls of democracy, it is up to the PML-N to prove itself as the champions of democracy by conducting a thorough investigation against the prime minister and his children. Moreover, the PML-N has to answer the public over the morality of holding offshore accounts even if they are legal. A point that they have deliberately avoided, the people of Pakistan have the right to know why the family wealth of their head of state is safely tucked in offshore accounts, away from the taxation system of Pakistan. It is true that the foremost battle that needs to be fought is the legal one, and here the prime minister needs to come forward and prove his innocence. In the midst of allegations against the prime minister that have even questioned how his children, Maryam Safdar and Hussain Nawaz, have been able to amass this wealth at such a young age, the prime minister needs to make public the source of all this wealth. In the meantime, as the inquiry commission that the prime minister has sanctioned to investigate the matter is being perceived as a delaying tactics by most, the PML-N should realise that such a perception would only serve to exacerbate the situation. Hence, government has to take the concerns of opposition parties into account as they have correctly pointed out that the ToRs of the commission are too broad. The imperative point at the moment is that the prime minister, being the head of state, has to prove his innocence, and not everyone whose name has come in the Panama Papers. Hence, tgovernment should focus the current investigation on the prime minister, and make sure that its findings are reached within a scheduled time. *