Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday reprimanded Senator Rehman Malik for discussing the Panama leaks issue with senior government officials without party’s authorisation.

The PPP chairman dissolved provincial and district organisations of the party and set up a high-powered committee to build consensus among opposition parties on Panama leaks.

The PPP top leadership met at Zardari House on Wednesday and discussed key issues in detail for three hours.

Sources told Daily Times that the top command of the party reprimanded Senator Malik for discussing the issue of Panama leaks with senior government officials without party’s authorisation. Otherwise regarded as an ace trouble-shooter for ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, Senator Malik listened to the criticism patiently. He said that his decision to meet the government officials was aimed at finding out their strategy on Panama leaks.

Senator Malik had met Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday. The meeting led to speculations that the PPP might once again back Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif against the tirade of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. The meeting was also viewed as another attempt to scratch each other’s back.

Panama leaks had disclosed that Senator Malik had been instrumental in setting up an offshore company. After the disclosures, Malik termed it a conspiracy of the Indian intelligence agency RAW against him.

The PPP chairman made it categorically clear to everyone that his party would not discuss the issue of Panama leaks with the government unless a joint strategy is finalised by the opposition parties. Talking to journalist, Senator Malik refuted the reports that he was reprimanded during the meeting. He said the issue of his meeting with Dar was not even discussed in the meeting.

Organisations Dissolved: What was seen as a long-awaited decision, Zardari approved dissolution of all party organisations down to the district level in all provinces. It was decided that a five-member organising committee in each province would assist the chairman on party reorganisation. A deadline of three months was set. The PPP was virtually wiped out in Punjab in the last general election. Senior leaders, including PPP Punjab President Manzoor Wattoo, had advised Zardari to dissolve the organisations and set up his own team to regain what was lost. According to Qamar Zaman Kaira and Senator Farhatullah Babar, the party chairman has decided to set up a four-member committee to contact the opposition political parties on Panama leaks. The committee was tasked with developing a consensus on a parliamentary committee that would pursue investigation into the Panama leaks, including a forensic investigation into the disclosures by international experts.

The committee on Panama leaks would consist of opposition and parties’ parliamentary leaders both in the National Assembly and the Senate.

Zardari also appointed a four-member committee of legal experts to advise him on legal issues involving Panama leaks. The committee would consist of Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, Senator Farooq Naek, Latif Khosa and Nayyar Bokhari.

“I am deeply perturbed that the government despite its promise has failed to initiate a meaningful investigation. And now there are reports that honourable judges may not be willing to work as members of the inquiry commission,” a party statement quoted Zardari as saying. He said that Panama leaks had brought a bad name to the country and undermined the moral authority of the government. “The issue will not die down and must not be allowed to die down. The government must be pressed hard for an impartial and credible investigation,” he added.

Faryal Talpur, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar, Jehangir Badr, Faisal Karim Kundi and Saleem Mandviwalla attended the meeting.