Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has sought assistance from JUI-F chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman to pull the Sharif family out of crisis triggered by the Panama Papers.

Sources told Daily Times that Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman was entrusted with a special task on Wednesday under the instructions of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to facilitate Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on the issues revolving Panama leaks. He is supposed to take into confidence the leadership of PPP and the religious parties on the formation of commission to investigate the Panama leaks.

Government wants to consult all the political and religious parties on the constitution of a judicial commission or the parliamentary body to probe the Panama leaks. The government desires that if a ‘judicial commission’ is formed, it must be headed by a retired judge, while the parliamentary commission, if set up, should be led by a PML-N lawmaker, with its members from the opposition parties.

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar held a meeting with opposition leader Khursheed Shah and informed him about viewpoint of the government. The PPP, however, still insists that a letter should be written to the Supreme Court chief justice for constitution of a judicial commission. The option of parliamentary commission can be considered only if the CJP refuses to entrust a judge for the investigation, according to the PPP.

The PPP has also constituted a committee comprising Aitzaz Ahsan, Saeed Ghani and Khursheed Shah to defend its stance on the issue.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also contacted MQM’s Farooq Sattar and apprised him about the difficulties being faced by the government over the Panama leaks issue. Dar made the contact after Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman refused to talk to MQM on the issue.

The government has decided to take ANP also on board. However, it won’t make any contact with the PTI at this stage to exert pressure on Imran Khan after isolating him on the issue.

A source told Daily Times that the federal government is also working on creating fissures within the PTI on the issue to make Imran Khan weaker at this point. To achieve this goal, the government is reportedly in contact with at least two leaders of the PTI. Though there are many within the PML-N as well who want to stand with Imran Khan on this issue.

Former president Asif Zardari is also trying to take advantage of the situation, as the federal government faces twofold pressure, one from Imran Khan on Panama leaks and other from the ongoing anti-terror operation in Punjab.

The Punjab government, unlike the past, is giving own clarifications instead of supporting the federal government. The arrest of Chhotu gang alive has created ripples in the Punjab government.

The army has clearly said that on the identification of Chhotu gang, a door-to-door search would be carried out throughout the country, including southern Punjab, and their facilitators would be brought to justice.