Umar said that terms of reference (TORs) for the proposed inquiry commission on Panama Papers were unanimously framed by a nine-party opposition bloc. PHOTO: PPI
According to invitation sent to members, the ruling party’s CWC will meet on October 10 (today) at the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad.
The invitation contained no agenda.
As many as 18 former members of the CWC have also been invited besides some federal cabinet members.
“I can’t exactly recall when the last meeting was held. But surely, it was before the Prime Minister assumed his office in mid-2013,” said a member of the committee.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 10am.
Office-bearers of the CWC from all provinces, the federal capital, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are expected to attend the meeting.
“The party’s internal matters will be discussed,” Leader of the House in Senate Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq said when asked about the meeting’s agenda.
Current domestic political situation would also be discussed with specific reference to PTI’s announcement ‘to lockdown Islamabad on October 30, Haq maintained.
Zafarul Haq said that the matter of holding intra-party elections would also be part of the agenda.
Another CWC member, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, said that in addition to the current political and security situation, the party would also discuss details of the PML-N’s General Council meeting that will be held on October 17 specifically to chart out matters relating to intra-party elections.
CWC members are also likely to repose ‘confidence’ on the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, countering PTI’s demand for the PM’s resignation.
Another member of the committee said that the party’s leadership would evaluate its political strategy ahead of PTI’s scheduled protest.
“Resumption of dialogue with the opposition, mainly the PTI, on Panama Papers investigation will be one of the options that would be considered,” the CWC member said.
To amicably resolve the situation, he said, the government might offer to accept the opposition’s bill titled ‘Panama Papers Inquiry Bill’ that was recently tabled in the Senate.
“The bill may not be accepted in its entirety; the PML-N will suggest some necessary amendments,” he added.
PTI leader Asad Umar said a number of PML-N legislators had personally thanked him for PTI’s vibrant opposition which forced the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to consult his party’s central leadership through the central working committee.
Umar said that terms of reference (TORs) for the proposed inquiry commission on Panama Papers were unanimously framed by a nine-party opposition bloc. “Their [government’s] prime demand, when opposition was negotiating on ToRs, was to frame ToRs that ensured the Prime Minister was not held accountable,” Umar said. “Everything has been done in this regard, including negotiations, but talks did not yield any result because of rigid stance of the government,” he concluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2016.
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