PPP for parliament briefing on Panama Leaks

LAHORE

Expressing dissatisfaction over Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s explanation over Panama Papers allegations against his children, southern Punjab PPP president Makhdum Ahmed Mehmood has demanded the PM to brief parliament about the issue. 

“The PM’s public address doesn’t clear him of charges,” said Makhdum Ahmed, former Punjab governor while talking to reporters at his residence on Wednesday. PPP leaders Jahangir Badr and Abdul Qadir Shaheen were present. 

“If I were in his place, I would have resigned from the office until I was cleared of all the charges,” said Makhdum Mehmood while responding to a question regarding revelations about his family’s offshore companies. 

“I repeat there is nothing wrong if anyone sets up a company outside the country, the question arises how the money used to set up these companies was earned, was it declared, does it have any record, I believe the confessional statement of Ishaq Dar regarding money laundering is the answer of all the allegations leveled in Panama Leaks,” said Makhdum Ahmed.

He said the nation must know how Sharif family set up its business in Saudi Arabia or set up companies in any part of the world, and even if someone funded or supported it, there should be some record at least which must be made public.

He said rather addressing the nation, the PM should have taken the parliament into confidence and clarify his position over this scandal. The PPP leader criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for allegedly being ‘Indian sympathisers’ rather than being sympathetic with the people of Pakistan. 

“He must serve as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, not as the friend of the Indian PM here,” he said and added the visit of Indian Prime Minister Modi to the residence of PM Nawaz Sharif conveyed a very wrong message to diplomatic circles and it wasn’t a good omen for Pakistan. 

To a question regarding the operation of Rangers in Punjab, Makhdum Ahmed predicted a drive against extremists, their facilitators, corrupt elements within a month.  a

“At present Rangers is on hold in Punjab but I feel it will launch operation here where it is needed” said Ahmed Mehmood.

He said Gen Raheel Sharif seemed determined to fulfill his responsibilities before the completion of his term.

To a question regarding public meeting addressed by Bilawal at Jamaldin Wali, Rahim Yar Khan, the hometown of Ahmed Mehmood, the former governor said it indicated the success of Pakistan Peoples Party, not of the individuals.

He said people from different parts of Southern Punjab came to attend the public meeting, which was held amid high security risk but they expressed their love to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. PPP would make a comeback in next general elections and it was also necessary for the party leadership to have clean people around him, said Makhdum Ahmed. 

He said during his stay in London, he would call on party Co Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

He said the media had a key role to bring fact to surface, adding it mustn’t be ‘Lahore specific’, it should also highlight the issues related with smaller provinces.