Zardari denies 'understanding' with PM Nawaz on Panama leaks

Terms the reports as "untrue, baseless and motivated"

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari contradicted on Sunday reports stating he had reached an 'understanding' on the issue of Panama leaks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

In a statement, he termed the reports as "untrue, baseless and motivated".

Former President Zardari contradicts media reports of understanding with Prime Minister over Panama leaks https://t.co/2Ze6vjVVkW

— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) May 29, 2016

Thousands of documents leaked from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca had revealed that the world’s wealthy and powerful, including three scions of Nawaz among 220 Pakistanis, had secreted their wealth in offshore holdings in international tax havens.



The former president also refuted 'rumours' of his meeting with Maulana Fazalur Rehman in London, where the reported reconciliation talks had taken place.

According to sources, in a three-hour-long session with Zardari on Tuesday, the JUI-F chief tried to persuade the former president not to become a part of the united opposition but play the role of a ‘friendly opposition’.

Zardari said the PPP had decided to pursue the Panamagate controversy till its logical end.



His statement came following reports he had developed differences with the PPP’s stance on the issue of Panama Papers and its investigations.

Standoff

A standoff between government and opposition parties on Panama leaks is likely to persist after the former has rejected the latter’s ToRs for setting up an inquiry commission to probe the issue.

PML-N to consult opposition on ToRs

The government told the opposition that its ToRs, in their current form, were unacceptable and asked to resubmit them as fresh proposals. This led the opposition team to announce that “there is a deadlock… over the issue”.

The third meeting of the 12-member parliamentary committee [six each from the government and opposition parties] mandated to draft unanimous ToRs was held at the Parliament House on Friday.