Panama Leaks probe must begin from PM and his family: Ahsan

Ahsan, who was speaking to media representatives in the federal capital on Tuesday following a meeting with a PTI delegation regarding the infamous Panama Leaks, said the prime minister had presented himself for accountability when names of his family members surfaced in the wake of the Panamagate Scandal.

Since premier’s children names appeared with links to offshore companies in the scandal, they must be given a chance to present their views, he added.

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During the meeting of the two top political parties from the opposition benches, Shah Mehmood Qureshi invited PPP to participate in PTI’s ‘Pakistan March’ on September 3 in Lahore.

Although the PPP leader had earlier claimed that his party and PTI’s views on the leaks probe is similar, he replied to Qureshi that “the decision to join Imran Khan in Lahore or not would be taken after consultation with top leadership.”

Names of several Pakistanis including Nawaz Sharif’s children Maryam, Hussain, and Hasan surfaced in one of the world’s biggest ever data leaks through an online searchable database made public by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in April 2016, following which the prime minister had formed a judicial commission to probe his family’s alleged links to offshore accounts.

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Ahsan said the people and political parties of Pakistan including PPP and PTI wanted a free and fair investigation into the Panamagate Scandal.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said PTI believed that the ToRs (terms of references) Committee failed to produce results due to the federal government’s negligence and stubbornness.

He said PTI held detailed talks with Aitzaz Ahsan on the Panama Leaks probe during which he conveyed Imran Khan’s message inviting PPP to join him in Lahore.

With reference to PTI’s petition at the Supreme Court against Prime Minister Sharif, seeking his disqualification as the leader of the government and placing Sharif family members’ names on the Exit Control List, Qureshi said he and his party hopped the reference would be entertained as per the law.

On the other hand, Aitzaz Ahsan said that PPP did not have any intention to go to the apex court for now.