Govt, opposition adopt mature ways to discuss Panama Papers

ISLAMABAD: After weeks of the politics of accusations and counter-accusations, parliamentary boycotts and tensions, the post-PanamaLeaks situation is finally moving towards a mature solution i.e. the formation of a parliamentary committee to devise the agreed ToRs for a judicial commission.

Monday’s surprise boycott of the joint opposition from the National Assembly soon after the prime minister offered a much-demanded explanation on the PanamaLeaks issue on the floor of the house was the pinnacle of political bickering. However, Tuesday saw a conspicuous thaw in the situation.

The opposition decided to end the boycott of both the houses of parliament while the government appears wooing its opponents. These developments are, however, disturbing for those who were eager to take the matter to the streets to create a situation where the army could be sucked in for an intervention. Both the government and the opposition behaved much maturely. Opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah along with Naveed Qamar and PTI Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday met the Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq to discuss the issue of the formation of the parliamentary committee as announced by the prime minister.

Leaders of the MQM and Jamaat-e-Islami also met the Speaker and urged for a negotiated solution to the problem. Sources said that these two parties were in favour of avoiding agitational politics.

Later in the evening, Ayaz Sadiq had a meeting with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to pave the way for early holding of a meeting between the two sides. When approached, the Speaker told The News that both the sides are positive and want to proceed through the proposed parliamentary party. Ayaz Sadiq hoped that the two sides would meet on Wednesday for the formation of the joint parliamentary committee to decide the ToRs for the judicial commission.

The joint opposition has already announced to end the boycott of the National Assembly and Senate. Speaking to the media after the meeting of the joint opposition here on Tuesday, Khursheed Shah said, “Parliament is our forum. How can we run away from it?”

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the opposition was serious and wants the corrupt people and Panama thieves to be exposed. Aitzaz Ahsan said PM Nawaz’s address to parliament converted the opposition’s seven questions into 170. He said, “We will seek answers of these questions in parliament and if we do not get a reply, the joint opposition will chalk out its future line of action.”

On the other side, Ishaq Dar, during a press talk, said that the government was unconditionally ready for talks on ToRs.

The government had initially sought from the Supreme Court chief justice the setting up of an inquiry commission without taking the opposition into confidence on the issue of Terms of Reference. This unilateral move of the government got the opposition united which too came up with its own set of ToRs while rejecting the government ToRs.

The chief justice returned the government’s request with certain guidelines required to be followed for consideration of formation of a judicial commission.

During the recent weeks, the opposition has been demanding of the prime minister to give an explanation on the PanamaLeaks on the floor of the house. The opposition, in a press conference, had also asked seven questions from the premier and wanted Nawaz Sharif to give answers in parliament.

On Monday, after a long time, the prime minister attended the National Assembly and offered an explanation but in a surprise move the joint opposition boycotted the proceedings as soon as the PM finished his speech. Instead of confronting the prime minister, who was forced by the opposition to come to parliament, the opposition left the house and started raising questions outside parliament before the TV cameras.

Although, the whole opposition boycotted the proceedings, later the move created doubts within the opposition whose short-lived unity was found cracking on Tuesday.