Opposition moot gives relief to under-pressure Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: The opposition political parties, which met here on Monday, apparently to oust the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the wake of PanamaLeaks disclosures, have ended up lending great political breather to the under-pressure premier by issuing a soft communiqué that in no way is bothersome for the government.

Much to the relief of the under-attack Nawaz Sharif, the opposition parties could not agree on the point of demanding resignation from the prime minister. Going through the soft demands of the opposition parties, it appeared as if they had met to give strength to Nawaz Sharif, for whom the immediate political threat is over. It is not yet clear who among the opposition parties, most of whom were demanding resignation before the Monday gathering, has actually turned the tables in favour of the prime minister.

They agreed to what the government would be more than happy to welcome i.e. review of the Terms of Reference for Judicial Commission. Even on this point, the opposition parties have yet to firm up their consensus ToR.

On Tuesday, the representatives of the opposition parties will meet again to formulate their agreed ToR, which will be presented to the government. In their joint communiqué announced following the marathon meeting, the conspicuous missing point was the demand for the resignation of the prime minister. Otherwise, what the opposition parties announced brought sense of relief for the prime minister and his government.

The opposition parties rejected the government’s ToRs and want its review for which the government is willing to enter into a dialogue with the opposition. The opposition unanimously demanded that all those whose names appeared in the PanamaLeaks should be probed but insisted that the inquiry should start from the Prime Minister Nawaz and his family. On this point, the prime minister himself has already said that the Judicial Commission could start the probe from his case.

The opposition also demanded that for the probe on PanamaLeaks a judicial commission be set up through an act of parliament as had happened in the case of Judicial Commission on 2013 General Elections.

Although the prime minister has already approached the Chief Justice of Pakistan for setting up judicial commission, sources in the government indicate that even on this point the ruling party will not be shy to negotiate with the opposition parties.