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Published 17 Jul, 2016 04:58am

Panama Papers: PPP to introduce private member's bill in Senate

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is likely to introduce a private member's bill in Senate, seeking formation of a judicial commission on Panama Papers, during the upcoming scheduled for July 18.

Senator Saeed Ghani who is PPP's parliamentary leader in Senate has said that the draft of the proposed law is being prepared and it will be made public after its approval by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and after consultation with other opposition parties.

"We're working on the directives of party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and most probably it will introduced in Senate in upcoming session of Senate," he added.

He said that the opposition knows that the bill will be passed by Senate as there we have a majority, but it will certainly be rejected from the National Assembly.

"The reason we have decided to bring a private members bill on Panama leaks is to put moral pressure on the government, as it has resorted to delaying tactics," he added.

He said that opposition was trying to help the government by providing an opportunity to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif so that he could clear his name from the Panama leaks, but he is reluctant to form a powerful judicial commission to settle the dust, once and for all.

Senator Ghani further stated that the bill was being drafted keeping in view the terms of reference (ToR) prepared by opposition parties for the proposed judicial commission to investigate over 600 Pakistanis whose names appeared in the Panama Papers.

He said the government wanted to constitute a toothless commission under the 1956 Act and that not only the opposition, but even the Supreme Court rejected the government-proposed ToRs and its proposal to form the judicial commission under the 1956 Act.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2016

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