PTI reaches out to opposition parties

Consultation on to start anti-govt movement

By Mumtaz Alvi & Asim Yasin

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday formally initiated contacts with the opposition parties over its planned movement to exert pressure on the PML-N government for an investigation into the Panama Leaks with particular reference to the offshore assets of the Sharif family.

The head of PTI’s political committee and its deputy parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Shah Mehmood Qureshi met separately with leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party and Jamaat-e-Islami and also held telephonic talks with leaders of the PML-Q and Qaumi Watan Party. He called on the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan and PPP Senator Salim Mandviwala here at the Parliament House.

Both sides exchanged views on the situation arising out of the Panama Papers and the government’s response to it besides the PTI’s planned movement, which includes a march on Raiwind, if the government did not form a commission under the chief justice of the Supreme Court by April 24.

The PPP and PTI leadership had a similarity of views on the investigation into the Panama Leaks through an independent and powerful commission, having assistance from world audit experts. Qureshi said that the stance of PTI, PPP and JI was identical on the issue of Panama Leaks.

Qureshi had a meeting with Jamaat-e-Islami’s Ameer Sirajul Haq and other Jamaat leaders here at the residence of former JI MNA Mian Muhammad Aslam.Echoing Imran Khan’s demand, the Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer also asserted that after the revelations made in the Panama Leaks about the prime minister and his family members, he had no moral justification to remain in office and should step down.

Sirajul Haq said if the prime minister wanted an independent inquiry into the matter, he should step down and hand over his office to some other person of his party till a thorough investigation was held. He said the nation and the world community had learnt of the dubious methods the most corrupt persons adopt to hide their wealth plundered from the public exchequer.

“The prime minister needs to disclose how his family got such a huge amount of money that had been invested in the offshore companies,” he added. He said it was a matter of shame that the prime minister of an Islamic state and his family were involved in financial corruption.

He said if the prime ministers of Ukraine and Iceland could resign on public demand, why should Pakistan’s premier not step down for the same reason.

He said that justice demanded that instead of trying to hide corruption, the prime minister should constitute a judicial commission headed by the chief justice of Pakistan for an independent inquiry into the whole matter. He said that the commission announced by the prime minister could not meet the demands of justice.

The PPP and PTI leaders are expected to have another round of talks on April 14 in Lahore while the PTI will have discussions with the Jamaat leaders the next day in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad-based Afghan ambassador called on PTI Chairman Imran Khan here and discussed with him the problems being faced by the Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

According to a statement issued by the PTI media centre, Imran held out an assurance to the visitor that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government would take immediate measures to alleviate the difficulties of Afghan refugees in the province.

It was also agreed in the meeting that the Afghan ambassador will meet the Khyber Pakhthunkhwa chief minister next week and also the inspector general of police there on this issue.