We reject Prime Minister Nawaz’s inquiry commission, says Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday rejected the inquiry commission proposed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to probe Panama Papers — an unprecedented leak of 11.5 million files from an offshore law firm Mossack Fonseca.

The PTI chief was addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

“I was disappointed by PM Nawaz’s speech…it reflected that he is guilty,” said Khan.

Expressing his disapproval over the proposed commission, the PTI chief said there was no Term of Reference for tax evasion. “PM hasn’t included any foreign forensic firm in the investigation either,” he said.

Khan termed the proposed commission nothing more than “eyewash” and put forth his party’s demand for the inquiry to be carried out under Chief Justice of Pakistan and that international audit firms should also be hired.

“National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should be made part of the inquiry commission,” the PTI chief added.

He said if a country’s premier’s name is linked to corruption then it is not an insignificant issue. “A prime minister cannot function without moral authority.”

On Friday, PM Nawaz addressed the nation in which he announced that he was ready to present himself along with his family for accountability over the Panama Papers’ revelations.

PM Nawaz said that being the head of the state of a democratic country, it was his duty to take his people into confidence.

Minutes after the prime minister announced to approach the Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali — who is presently on a week-long visit to Turkey — requesting to launch a probe into Panama Papers’ revelations, the government dispatched a letter in this regard.

The letter, as advised by PM Nawaz, requested the honourable CJP to constitute an inquiry commission comprising Supreme Court judges.

It urged the CJP to head the commission on “priority basis”.

However, the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the inquiry commission put forward by the government were rejected by the opposition parties.

They said the premier’s address was a repetition of promises made in the past and asked for the ToR for the commission to be decided upon in the presence of all stakeholders.

Leaked confidential documents spanning over nearly 40 years that spell out the extensive use of tax havens by politicians, world leaders and celebrities to launder money and evade taxes through one of the most secretive companies the Panamaian law firm Mossack Fonseca has taken the world by storm.

Many Pakistanis have also been named in their revelations.

The documents identify many Pakistani business tycoons and politicians including late two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto as well certain members of the ruling Sharif family (excluding PM Nawaz and his brother Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif) to have use tax havens to hide their wealth.