Govt, opposition agree on 12-member committee to probe Panama leaks

Committee will have two weeks to reach consensus on ToRs, announces Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid

The government and the opposition have agreed to form a committee to draft joint terms of reference (ToR) for an inquiry commission, which would investigate Panama papers, Express News reported.

“We have decided to form a 12-member committee consisting six persons from each side, the government and opposition, to reach a conclusion on ToRs,” Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid announced on Wednesday after a meeting.

He said representatives from the PPP, PML-N, PTI and JI, among others attended the consultative meeting held in the chamber of National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.



The announcement came following the NA session earlier during the day when the opposition and government grilled each other over Panamagate controversy.

In his address during the assembly session, PTI chief Imran Khan had warned if their questions were not answered, his party would take it to the streets.

“If the PM doesn’t answer all questions properly, it will be my democratic right to come out on the streets to protest.”

However, the PTI has now agreed to the 12-member committee, which will be formed after a resolution in the NA on Thursday.

The committee will be given a time span of two weeks to reach the agreed upon ToRs such that the judicial commission could be formed to investigate the Panama Papers allegations."

According to Express News, Aitzaz Ahsan, Ghulam Bilour and Shah Mehmood Qureshi are among the opposition side in the committee.