ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) – Opposition leader Khursheed Shah lashed out at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the National Assembly today (on Wednesday) for his address to the House on the Panama Papers, which took place on Monday.
Since the massive documents leak took the world by storm over a month ago, the Prime Minister has been under pressure by the opposition to explain why his three children were named as owners of offshore companies listed in the Panama leaks. The opposition has repeatedly demanded that the Prime Minister explain the sources of his family’s offshore wealth.
“We want to know how this money was transferred abroad,” said Opposition Leader Khurshid Shah today in the House.
He said that the opposition had boycotted Assembly sessions last week because the Prime Minister had failed to meet their demand of addressing the Panama leaks controversy in the House. “Parliament is the right forum for premiere,” he added.
He explained that the opposition was not interested in finding out how the Prime Minister and his family had earned their wealth, a topic the premier spoke on at length during his Monday address.
“Instead of explaining himself, the PM should have presented his sons,” said Shah.
Shah said that Hassan and Hussain Nawaz had given contradictory statements about their ownership of offshore firms, first admitting and then denying that they owned such firms.
He demanded the PM’s presence in today’s NA session as well and questioned whether the money his family invested in the Gulf Steel mill was routed through the State Bank of Pakistan.
He also questioned why the Prime Minister had not attended today’s NA session, adding that the Panama papers issue had just started and was a long way from ending.
He also presented the tax details of Nawaz Sharif, claiming that the PM had paid only 0.65m tax in 14 years, including only Rs. 50,000 in the year 1997.
He said that all parliamentarians, including the PM, should be held accountable for financial wrongdoing.
The National Assembly session is still underway, and the Panama Papers is still a major topic of discussion.
