ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday raised the Panama leaks issue at the All-Parties Conference on Kashmir.
The PPP chairman demanded that the government accept opposition’s bill to investigate the mega scandal.
The PPP had moved the bill in the Senate last month seeking formation of a commission to probe into the Panama leaks under the terms of reference already proposed by the opposition.
A PPP source told Daily Times that a meeting of PPP leadership decided to raise the Panama leaks issue in front of the PM, adding that Bilawal told the APC that Panama leaks issue needs to be thoroughly investigated.
“If we want unity on all national issues then Panama issue should be investigated in a transparent way and the government must support the bill of opposition tabled in the parliament,” the PPP chairman said.
Sources said Bilawal’s speech made the PM uncomfortable. After the APC, sources said, Bilawal met Nawaz. Opposition Leader in Senate Aitzaz Ahsan and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Khursheed Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Sherry Rehman were also present. In the meeting, Bilawal again raised the corruption issue and linked it to the Panama leaks.
Nawaz promised that he would look into the opposition’s bill, as the government wanted a transparent investigation.
“Yes, the prime minister listened to our point of view and we were assured that this issue will be discussed after Muharram and the PM is ready to sit with our team,” Bilawal told reporters after the meeting.
He added that if the government did not agree with the opposition’s bill then his party would announce its line of action. The PPP chairman made it clear that he would not support Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan in shutting down the federal capital.
“The PTI chairman’s Lahore speech was good in which he raised some valid questions but the PTI’s solo flight will not be supported at all. The PTI is in the opposition and they should consult with us so opposition can be kept united,” Bilawal said.
Sources said Bilawal also raised the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) issue and said former president and his father Asif Ali Zardari was the architect of this national project, but the PPP has serious reservations on the progress of CPEC as some provinces are being ignored. On this PM Nawaz again looked defensive and he assured the PPP chairman that the PPP’s reservations on CPEC would be addressed.