Panama leaks: Government's plan to amend Inquiry Act was not enough: Shah

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah on Monday said that the government plan to amend Inquiry Act, 1956 was not enough as it had to do a lot more to ensure a transparent probe into Panama Leaks. There are reports that under pressure from opposition political parties especially Pakistan People's Party (PPP) which wants to bring its own bill in Senate while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to take to the streets on August 07, the government is planning to make amendments in Inquiry Act, 1956 to proceed with probe into Panama leaks.
However, Shah said that mere amendment to the Inquiry Act, 1956 would not be enough, as the government must go ahead by taking the opposition along as the Panama issue needs to be probed by taking all stakeholders onboard. He also said that before bringing amendment in the National Assembly, the government should end the stalemate in talks over the parliamentary panel for formulating terms of reference (ToRs) for investigating Panama leaks.
"The amendment to Inquiry Act, 1956 will be of no use if the government failed to take the opposition onboard and the stalemate on ToRs must end so that both the parties can reach an agreement on what to do next," he added. Shah, who is also chairman of National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), also met PTI leaders Dr Shireen Mazari and Shafqat Mahmood earlier in the day and exchanged views with them about the recent development in which Senate adopted a motion seeking amendment to its rule for giving representation to Senators in PAC.
A similar amendment will also be made to NA rules and six senators will be made members of the top parliamentary watchdog. Later, parliamentary leader of Muttahdia Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the National Assembly told reporters that Karachi operation was meant to divide his party through different tactics.
He said that arrest of MQM leader Wasim Akhtar was evidence how MQM was being targeted through undemocratic means, adding that the party will face all the problems and come clean as it has always been there to serve its people. He said that no one can ban a political party from political activities but MQM is facing all the hardships as far as political activities in port city of Karachi are concerned as there is no one to listen to our plights.