‘Breach of trust’: Opposition moves privilege motion in NA against PM

Motion points out contradictions in premier’s speech before lower house.

ISLAMABAD: Already facing a tough time in Supreme Court over the contents of the speech he gave in National Assembly last year, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will now also have to contend with opposition parties in the lower house over the Panamagate scandal.

The NA opposition led by Khursheed Shah moved a privilege motion against the premier on Thursday, pointing out contradictions in the speech he gave to defend his family from allegations made in the wake of the Panama leaks.

The motion termed the plea Prime Minister Nawaz’s counsel made in the top court ‘self-confirming evidence’ of the premier not telling the truth in the lower house. Premier’s counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan, in the plea, requested the bench to not make the speech part of Panamagate case proceedings as the prime minister could not be disqualified by the court over any statement made in parliament, even if it was untrue.



The motion termed this a blatant breach of the privilege of the whole house and called for it to be brought up in the NA for discussion and action.

The motion signed by Khursheed Shah, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Syed Naveed Qamar, Sahibzada Tariqullah, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and others is likely to be taken up during the next NA session which begins January 26.

It is up to the speaker to dispose of the motion or refer it to the standing committee on privileges. Still, the move will provide opposition MNAs ample opportunity to grill the prime minister who happens to be leader of the lower house.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2017.