ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) – Opposition parties are all set to give a tough time to government in National Assembly session, as the lower house of Parliament is due to meet at 5:00pm today (Thursday).
The session has been summoned by President Mamnoon Hussain and the house is expected to take up legislative business mainly, however the opposition parties have decided to raise Panama Papers leak issue as well.
Keeping in view of possible protest by opposition members, the ruling party PML-N has also advised all of its MNAs to ensure their presence in today’s, so that they can strongly respond to opposition’s allegations.
According to documents shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists -what they have called as Panama Papers- Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his sons Hussain Nawaz and Hasan Nawaz, and daughter Mariam Safdar set up at least four offshore companies in British Virgin Islands (BVI) via law firm Mossack Fonseca -whose documents have been published under Panama Papers.
The Sharif family’s companies owned at least six upmarket properties overlooking London’s Hyde Park.
Sharif family mortgaged four of these properties to the Deutsche Bank (Suisse) SA for a loan of GBP 7 million and the Bank of Scotland part financed the purchase of two other apartments, the documents said.
Following the documents leak, political parties built pressure on Prime Minister Nawaz to present himself and his family for accountability, and as a result he announced to set up a judicial commission, comprising of retired Supreme Court judges, investigate the allegations placed upon him and his family and bring the truth of affairs before the nation.
The Commission would investigate the allegations and give its verdict so that facts become clear to all. Mian Nawaz Sharif said those leveling allegations should approach the Commission and prove their allegations there.
However all major political parties, especially PTI and PPP, strongly rejected the investigation commission and called for a more independent and authoritative team to look into the allegations.
