Joint opposition has included Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Friday as its member for representation in parliamentary committee for Panama leaks probe.
Reportedly, Qaumi Watan Party’s (QWP) Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has stepped down voluntarily, stressing that the number of the body remains six. Dr Farooq Sattar said that Barrister Saif would represent the party from opposition’s side in the parliamentary committee.
Khurshid Shah said that there were some outstanding matters that needed to be discussed with MQM which have now been sorted. He said that the joint opposition would urge the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq to have the committee start its functioning on Monday.
The parliamentary committee is supposed to form Terms of References (TOR) with consensus of the government and the opposition within a two-week time, according to the motion moved on Wednesday.
Earlier on Thursday, the National Assembly witnessed a debate over MQM’s participation in the TOR committee as apparently neither the government nor the opposition wanted the party as its member.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi suggested that the government counts MQM as its part, critising which, Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique said that it has been in opposition for past three years and could not be made part of the government for formation of Terms of References.
MQM’s Asif Hasnain, while addressing the debaters said that the party has 25 members in the Parliament and should be treated fairly without depriving it of its right.
National Assembly Speaker summoned both the opposition and the government to its chamber later that day to take a decision regarding the tiff.
However, representatives of different opposition parties convened a meeting in Khurshid Shah’s chamber today to ponder over the debate. The meeting conditionally decided to included MQM as its member.
Read more: MQM parts ways with joint opposition in Panama leaks issue
MQM was asked to state in the media that it would back opposition’s decisions all through the course of the parliamentary committee and would not side with the government. Joint opposition asked the party to guarantee its loyalty as recently MQM parted ways with the opposition announcing to form its separate strategy against the government for probe into Panama leaks.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had recommended establishing a committee comprising of parliamentarians to look into the leaks against his family. Joint opposition called off the boycott of National Assembly and the Senate after premier’s address in the Parliament and agreed over setting up a committee.
Prime Minister s family was named in Panama Papers in April in leaked documents of Mossack Fonseca, a law firm. At least 140 world leaders, having offshore companies were named in the leaks.
Opposition parties mainly, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, led by Imran Khan, alleged the premier of stashing wealth abroad and evading taxes through shell companies and demanded his resignation.
