Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A writ petition was filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday for constitution of a high-level judicial commission to investigate the revelations made by the Panama Papers.

The interior and information ministries, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority (PEMRA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan were made respondents in the petition filed by Advocate Tariq Asad.

The petition requested the court to issue directions to NAB and FIA for submission of a comprehensive report about persons involved in money laundering and tax evasions so that they could be dealt with in accordance with the law.

“The Panama Papers has shown the two-faced approach of our leaders and politicians towards taxation and money laundering. The list of Pakistanis who have indulged in the practice of tax evasion according to the Panama papers includes Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family having nine companies of Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz and Maryam Nawaz and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s relatives having seven companies,” the petition maintained. It asked whether members of parliament and provincial assemblies evading income tax are qualified to hold their offices under articles 62, 63 r/w of the constitution.

The petition further stated that former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf owned Rs 2,156 million in cash in his offshore bank accounts while his official papers submitted with the Election Commission declared that the worth of his assets was mere Rs 626 million. The petition stated that the media trial of politicians was creating political instability in the country. It requested the court to direct PEMRA for restraining electronic media from such conduct. The petition stated that the last sit-in staged by PTI had left the residents of Islamabad in miserable situation so he be restrained from repeating such activity.