Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah on Thursday formally forwarded to prime minister the terms of references (TORs) jointly compiled by opposition parties for investigation into Panama leaks.

The opposition leader sent a one-page letter along with a copy of the ToRs to the Prime Minister, which was reportedly received by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

Talking to media, Khursheed Shah said that the government had not approached the opposition for talks over the ToRs so far. He said that the opposition has not demanded PM’s resignation but given him an opportunity to present himself before parliament and explain his position.

He said that the prime minister’s family has already confessed to evading taxes, and demanded holding every one accountable who either evaded taxes or got his loans written off.

Shah said that foreign media, not the opposition parties, had accused the prime minister of corruption. He said initiating process of accountability from the prime minister and his family was demanded by the opposition because PM is the head of the government.

He said that the prime minister needs to provide answers to his sons being named in the Panama leaks. “If sons of a country’s prime minister do not pay taxes then how can he expect others to pay taxes,” he asked, adding that the PM was trying to prove his innocence by spending millions of rupees in advertisements from the national exchequer.

He said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was aware that late Benazir Bhutto would not assume charge of country’s prime minister for the third time, adding that amendment was done in the constitution during PPP’s tenure to ensure that Nawaz Sharif may become prime minister for the third time. “Why would we want Nawaz Sharif to lose his office now?” he asked.

Shah said that the opposition was willing to have a dialogue with the government over the ToRs, but maintained that a transparent investigation can only be made possible through the ToRs proposed by the opposition parties. The prime minister should not avoid investigation when he is claiming his innocence since the beginning of Panama uproar, he added.

Talking about Senate ex-chairman Nayyar Hussain Bukhari’s arrest warrant, he said that a case was lodged against him over association with the PPP. He said he would take the issue to parliament for discussion.