ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique Thursday invited the opposition parties for framing a joint and comprehensive legislation to investigate the Panama Papers and other corrupt practices.
Responding to allegations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the National Assembly, he said the investigation should not be any person specific but across the board.
“We should bring such a legislation which not only investigate corruption of the past but also shut doors for malpractices in the future,” he added.
He said two bills on Panama Papers from the government and opposition had been tabled in the National Assembly and Senate.
“Government and Opposition bills should be discussed and a comprehensive legislation should be enacted for the investigation of Panama Papers and other corrupt practices,” he added.
He said that a parliamentary committee should also be constituted to bring unanimous legislation to address the issue.
He said that fair people from the government and opposition should be inducted in the committee.
The minister said that the government was and is ready to sit with the opposition parties to chalk out a way forward for investigation into the Panama Papers.
He said the opposition parties during talks with the government themselves were of the view that the investigation should not be person-specific.
He said the Speaker’s decision on the disqualification references filed against the Prime Minister and the PTI Chairman is correct and this House endorses his decision.
The minister said that it is the tactics of the PTI Chairman to attack the personality of the Speaker and hurl allegations of rigging on him. It is the same Speaker who did not accept the resignation of the PTI MNAs, he added.
On the references filed against the Prime Minister, the Minister said that the four references furnished before the Speaker did not carry any documentary evidence.
Therefore, the Speaker did not find appropriate to forward the references to the ECP. He said that the Speaker also rejected one reference against the PTI Chairman and forwarded the second one to the ECP having the substantial material and evidence.
Khawaja Saad said that Imran Khan himself is the founder of offshore companies but he never gets tired of hurling accusations on others.
He asked Imran Khan to stop the politics of allegations and mud-slinging and demonstrate maturity in his political conduct.
The minister recalled that it was agreed if the judicial commission, formed to investigate the rigging of the general election, indicated engineered rigging, the PML-N will leave the government and if otherwise the PTI will take its allegations back. But he said Imran Khan backed out from the written agreement.
