Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Although the Senate’s law and justice body deferred the opposition bill on the Panama Papers on Thursday, the government made it clear that PPP’s bill would not be acceptable for them in its present form. Federal Minister of Law and Justice Zahid Hamid told a group of journalists that the Senate committee did not inform them that they were going to postpone the bill. Hamid said that this bill was discriminatory and one-sided, and the government could not support it in its present shape, the minister said. The opposition included some clauses in the bill just to target Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family even though the prime minister’s name was not included in the Panama Papers, according to Zahid Hamid. He made it clear that the government would not oppose an inquiry against those whose names were in the Panama papers but Nawaz Sharif’s name should not be included just for political gain. “A government inquiry commission bill is more comprehensive and clear and we invite the opposition to sit with us on this. We will listen to their point of view and present our viewpoint as well,” the minister offered. The National Assembly Law and Justice Committee has passed a government bill already and through this bill, not only will the Panama scandal be investigated but all offshore companies as well. The minister also said that the government wanted investigation of offshore companies of Imran Khan, Jahangir Tareen, Aleem Khan and others as well.