Sindh PA passes resolutions on Panama Papers, held Kashmir

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution calling upon the government to conduct a comprehensive, impartial, and transparent inquiry into the Panama Papers’ scandal implicating the members of the prime minister’s family to save the entire nation “from the agony of confusion and national disrespect”.

Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro presented the resolution in the house, which was unanimously adopted. At the time the resolution was put to vote in the house, besides the lawmakers of the PPP, there were only two legislators of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, while none of the lawmakers of opposition Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and PML(Functional) were present in the assembly. After the passage of the resolution, Speaker Agha Siraj Khan Durrani announced that it was unanimously adopted as none of the legislators present in the house opposed it.

The resolution passed by the assembly has the following text:

“Leaks in Panama Papers by an international investigative organization has exposed the names of family members of the Prime Minister of Pakistan. This has brought bad name and disrespect to the Nation and every individual citizen of the country. The issue had a paramount importance to be transparently inquired into and clear the National image.But the government’s attitude has disappointed the nation and created further confusion in hearts and minds of its people.

“The ToRs, issued and observation made by the Honourable Supreme Court clearly indicates that Prime Minister is trying to hide himself behind his administrative apparatus to create a deliberate hindrance in impartial judicial inquiry, which is the demand of whole nation.

"The opposition parties have been trying to draft consensus ToRs, which have been rejected by the government every now and then.

"This Assembly resolves that a comprehensive, impartial, transparent inquiry, in accordance with the ToR given by opposition parties in parliament be immediately conducted to take proper action and relieve the nation from agony of confusion and national disrespect."

Speaking on the resolution, Provincial Minister Nisar Khuhro said that Panama Leaks scandal had named the children of the prime minister as the PM himself had to give a clarification on behalf of their wards.

He said that heads of states elsewhere in the world had tendered their resignations on being named in the Panama Papers scandal but here the rulers had shown sheer stubbornness.

He said the outside world had been raising questions on the integrity of the Pakistani nation as its prime minister had not been making himself publicly accountable. So there was no validity on the part of the government to demand accountability of others, he said.

PPP’s lawmaker Shamim Mumtaz demanded in the house that the PM should step down till the time an inquiry was conducted into the Panama Papers scandal implicating him and his family.

People's Party’s legislator Khairunnisa  Mughal said the PM was under obligation to conduct an inquiry into the Panama Papers’ scandal to save the Pakistani nation from sheer humiliation at the international level.

Sindh Minister for Works and Services Imdad Pitafi said the PM was under solemn obligation to get his name cleared as he and his family had been named in the scandal.

Dr Sikandar Shoro of the PPP said he felt embarrassed that the outside world had been labelling the Pakistani PM as corrupt. He said the PM should step down to pave the way for an independent and transparent inquiry into the Panama Leaks’ issue.

PML-N’s woman lawmaker Sorath Thebo in her speech opposed the resolution saying that the resolution had been moved in the house under mala fide intentions.

She said the entire world knew well as to what extent any person was corrupt or not. He said that PM Nawaz Sharif, with the best of intentions and honesty, had been working to build the entire country instead of just building his own native city.

She said that due action should be taken against those who were corrupt in the real sense as the prime minister was not corrupt.

The woman lawmaker of the PML-N was the lone voice in the house against the resolution but she left the assembly before the resolution was put to vote.

A resolution on the same issue of Panama Papers scandal implicating the family of prime minister was also moved by MPA of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Khurrum Sher Zaman. It was ruled out of order by the speaker.

The resolution of PTI’s legislator called upon the Election Commission and/or Supreme Court to get the prime minister disqualified as a member of the National Assembly due to non-declaration of assets while his daughter was named in the Panama Papers’ disclosures.

The provincial parliamentary affairs minister objected to the language of the resolution stating that the assembly under its rules could not make any such demand from the apex judiciary on disqualification of PM.

RESOLUTION ON KASHMIR: Meanwhile, the Sindh Assembly on Monday also unanimously passed a resolution to condemn in the strongest words the aggression shown by the Indian forces and violations of human rights in Indian-held Kashmir in the last several weeks.

The resolution also called upon the international community and the United Nations to help the Kashmiri people secure their right of self-determination. It also praised the sacrifices rendered and struggle by the people of Indian-held Kashmir against the occupation forces and for securing their freedom.

It stated: “This House vehemently condemns the ongoing brutal repression, barbarism, and severe human rights violations by Indian forces in occupied Jammu & Kashmir. Over the past 02 months, more than 100 Kashmiris have been brutally killed, children, women, young, and old innocent people have been blinded by the shotgun pellets and thousands of civilians have been injured by Indian brutal forces. This August House pays tribute to the young freedom leader Burhan Wani and thousands of others who have bravely laid down their lives for the Kashmiri cause. We salute determination of the mothers, wives, and children who have stood fast against the brutalities of the Indian forces for their freedom. This House calls upon the UN & international community to support the legitimate right of self determination of the Kashmiri people, to call upon India to honour the resolutions of the General Assembly, to release all Kashmiri political prisoners and to end all brutalities, aggression, and human rights violations in the valley."

The resolution was presented in the house by MPAs of ruling Pakistan People's Party Sharmila Farooqui, Khairunnisa Mughal, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Syed Sardar Ahmed, who is the parliamentary leader of MQM, Nusrat Seher Abbasi of Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) and Dr Seema Zia of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Besides the movers of the resolution, other MPAs also expressed their opinion on the resolution. They were of the view that Kashmir in historical terms was part of the Indus Valley so it was among the basic fundamental rights of Kashmiris to get liberation.

The concerned MPAs were of the view that the Indian prime minister should not remain under any misunderstanding or confusion as the entire Pakistani nation was very well united and fully prepared to take on any instance of aggression from the Indian side.

Besides the movers of the resolution, Shamim Mumtaz, Sardar Ali Shah, Imdad Pitafi of PPP, Sorath Thebo of PML-N, and Qamar Rizvi of MQM also spoke on the issue of Kashmiri people