The combined opposition on Wednesday continued consultations to formulate a joint strategy over Panama leaks, insisting that accountability process should be started from the Prime Minister as the government's rejected the terms of references (ToRs) formulated by the opposition to investigate Panama leaks.
Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, according to the sources, telephoned various leaders of the opposition political parties and discussed with them the option to write a formal letter to the Prime Minister, which will be sent along with the ToRs on Thursday.
The combined opposition in its ToRs demanded that the judicial commission should initiate investigation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's family, besides investigating other Pakistani citizens for having offshore companies, which were rejected by the government. "There is no such thing in the opposition's ToRs on the basis of which the government has to unilaterally rejected them," Shah said in a statement while commenting on the government point of view given in a joint press conference by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid, who rejected the opposition ToRs.
He said that the Prime Minister should clear his position on Panama leaks before the Parliament. "Sometimes ethical requirements are more rigorous than the legal requirements and the need of the hour is that the Prime Minister should present himself for accountability," he said. He stated that if something is morally wrong, it cannot be politically valid and for that reason the prime minister should resolve the matter instead of showing reluctance based on his government numerical position in the parliament.
"The Prime Minister should give priority to morality and kick start accountability process from his own house regardless of the legal and political niceties," he said, adding that the prime minister should tell the nation about the nature of the involvement of his family in Panama leaks and the facts behind the issue.
As head of the government, the opposition leader said that it was responsibility of the prime minister to present the whole matter before the nation. "The ball is now in the Prime Minister's Court and he should come forward and take steps without further delay instead of making emotional statements," Shah said.
Earlier, in an informal chat with reporters at Parliament House, Shah said that all those named in Panama leaks including PPP's leader Rehman Malik should be investigated for allegedly having offshore companies abroad. He also expressed concerns over JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman of getting 'emotional" over Panama leaks, adding that the leaks were made public by a foreign institution and not by the opposition political parties.
According to the sources, Khursheed Shah also telephoned Shah Mehmood Qureshi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour of Awami National Party (ANP), Qaumi Wattan Party's Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elhai of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) and Israrullah Zerhri of Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A). He also held a meeting with leader of the opposition in Senate Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and Awami Muslim League's Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad and took them into confidence on the 'joint strategy' of the opposition political parties.
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