Over Panama leaks: ECP’s decision likely to impact PTI, AJIP alliance

Cracks may emerge if lawmakers from Tarakai family are disqualified

PESHAWAR: Election Commission of Pakistan’s  (ECP) decision to disqualify lawmakers from the Tarakai family over owning offshore companies is likely to impact the alliance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP) in the provincial government.

In May 2016, Awami National Party Senator Bushra Gohar submitted an application in ECP for the disqualification of Senator Liaqat Ali, his son, Minister for Health Shahram Tarakai, and brother MPA Muhammad Ali Tarakai. The decision was taken after their names were mentioned in the Panama Papers.

However, on Friday, ECP adjourned the hearing in the case until August 17 and clubbed the petitions with those filed by the other political parties, including Pakistan Peoples Party, PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek against Sharif family’s offshore property.

Fateful decision

On the one hand, PTI has started a Tehreek-e-Ehtesab rally across the county against those who owned offshore companies, while on the other hand members of their own alliance were members also involved this cause. While talking to The Express Tribune, Gohar said ANP urged ECP to disqualified Liaqat Khan as his name was mentioned in Panama Papers and he did not declare to ECP his offshore companies in asset statements in 2015.

She also demanded action against Shahram Tarakai and Muhammad Ali who took guarantee for Liaqat Khan when his name was proposed for the position of senator.

Gohar said her responsibility was to point out the names of those having offshore companies while the rest was on ECP to decide.

The first hearing in the said case had been held in which ECP clubbed it with other identical petitions, he added, but in the next one ECP will decide on the disqualification of three members of the Tarakai family, who are also partners of PTI in the provincial government.

Under the Constitution, Gohar maintained, ECP has the power to hear and decide the case and assert its decision in the offshore companies’ case and disqualify those who tried to avoid paying tax in the country.

Up for accountability

While talking to The Express Tribune PTI Central Media Director Iftikhar Durrani said the party was clear regarding their policies about everything. He said that if ECP disqualified the Tarakai family members, PTI would look into the cause and if the allegations were genuine they would follow ECP’s decision.

He added PTI has started a movement against corruption as they want accountability of everyone in the country. He maintained PTI arrested its own MPA, Ziaullah Afridi, over corruption charges. Therefore, he said, if the Tarakai family members are found to have offshore companies and ECP disqualified the, PTI Chairperson Imran Khan would decide on the future of the alliance in K-P government.

On November 22, 2015, the Swabi-based party, AJIP, merged with PTI.

However, in his 2015 asset statement submitted to ECP, Liaqat Khan declared all his business capital within Pakistan, while he clearly mentioned that he has no business or investment outside the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2016.