PM House abuzz with consultations

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister House is abuzz with activity. Nawaz Sharif is continuously conferring with his close confidantes to weigh his options as the Supreme Court will take up a slew of petitions involving what is now known as ‘Panamagate scandal’ on Nov 1.

A flurry of secret meetings has been held in the Prime Minister House so far this week, according to sources. Primarily, these meetings pored over possible parliamentary legislation and executive actions available with the government in case the apex court decides against the maintainability of five petitions seeking an independent probe into the Panama Papers revelations that the Sharif family has secreted their money in an offshore tax haven.

Apart from these meetings, Premier Sharif has been in regular contact with his top legal wizards, including Attorney General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf, Law Minister Zahid Hamid, former AGP Salman Aslam Butt, Special Assistant Barrister Zafarullah and leader of the house in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq, who is also a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, sources told The Express Tribune.



Sources said the government would seek to expedite legislation on the Commission of Inquiry Bill 2016 to set up an inquiry commission, if the top court dismissed the petitions on the next hearing. “The onus will be on us, if the apex court rules against the maintainability of the petitions,” said a source privy to the government consultations.

Moreover, source said, the government would try to question the petitions’ maintainability on the grounds that not Premier Sharif but his family members have been named in the Panama Papers. “In the first place we will argue against the maintainability of the petitions. But if our arguments do not satisfy the apex court, then we will have no option but to fight the case,” the source said.

“If the top court rules in our favour and rejects the petitions, then we will start investigations,” the source added. “The option of setting up an inquiry commission is also open keeping in view the possibility that the apex court might order the government to have the matter investigated through a commission. “

Since almost all opposition parties are strongly opposed to the government’s bill, the ruling party has been trying to muster parliamentary support to have the bill passed, insiders said. The bill has been pending in the National Assembly after it was green-lighted by a parliamentary panel.

“Getting the bill sailed through is not an issue because we have majority in parliament. But controversies attached to this issue necessitate some sort of parliamentary support and a general sense of unity in the house in favour of the bill,” another source in the PML-N said. The PPP has moved the Panama Papers Inquiries Act 2016 in the Senate in response to the ruling party’s bill.

Also, the option to set up a designated commission has much to do with the distrust the opposition, especially the PTI, has voiced over the existing accountability and investigation bodies mandated to probe financial corruption. These include National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

Raja Zafarul Haq believes it is too early to comment on the formation of a commission on Panamagate. “If and when the time arrives, all necessary steps shall be taken depending upon the situation,” he told The Express Tribune. “The prime minister and our federal government want a fair probe into the matter. All necessary options shall be exercised in this regard.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2016.