National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. PHOTO: ONLINE
Panama Papers on April 3 revealed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s three children were among the dozens of powerful people from across the globe with offshore companies in a tax haven.
The government had earlier drafted its own ToRs and asked the top judge to form a judicial panel to probe into the scandal and other cases of graft. However, the Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali had refused to make a ‘toothless commission’ forcing the government to reconsider the ToRs for the panel.
Last week, premier Nawaz announced on the floor of the National Assembly that a joint parliamentary panel, with equal representation from government and opposition parties, should thrash out ToRs for a commission to probe into the scandal.
Later, the National Assembly on May 19 and the Senate on May 20 unanimously adopted motions which paved way for the committee. The opposition had already submitted its nominations to the speaker while the government sent its nominations on Monday evening.
After receiving the nominations, the speaker on Tuesday formally approved and constituted the parliamentary committee, which will be having its first meeting on Wednesday (today). This will start the countdown as the committee has been asked to complete its task in two weeks (15 days).
The opposition’s panel includes Senator Aitzaz Ahsan from PPP, Senator Muhammad Ali Saif from MQM, Senator Ilyas Ahmad Bilour from ANP, Shah Mahmood Qureshi from PTI, Sahibzada Tariq Ullah from Jamaat-e-Islami and Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema from PML-Q.
The government panel on the other hand comprises four members of the ruling party – Senator Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Anusha Rehman – apart from the National Party’s Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo and the JUI-F’s Akram Khan Durrani.
According to the notification, the committee will consider options for inquiring into ‘important issues’ raised in the controversy over the Panama Papers and other reports in the media.
The ‘other reports in the media’ include inquiry into offshore companies, transfer from Pakistan the funds originating from corruption, commissions or kick-backs; and bank loan write-offs, with priorities to be determined by the committee.
“[The committee will also] formulate the ToRs of such forum and determine the timeline for submission of the report,” said the notification, adding that the committee shall submit its report to parliament within two weeks. “The speaker may replace any member of the committee on the request of the parliamentary party concerned,” it added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2016.
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