National News

ISLAMABAD, (APP): Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad
Rafique Thursday invited the Opposition parties for framing a joint
and comprehensive legislation to investigate the Panama Papers and
other corrupt practices.
Responding to allegations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the
National Assembly, he said the investigation should not be any
person specific but across the board.
“We should bring such a legislation which not only investigate
corruption of the past but also shut doors for malpractices in the
future,” he added.
He said two bills on Panama Papers from the government and
Opposition had been tabled in the National Assembly and Senate.
“Government and Opposition bills should be discussed and a
comprehensive legislation should be enacted for the investigation
of Panama Papers and other corrupt practices,” he added.
He said that a parliamentary committee should also be
constituted to bring unanimous legislation to address the
issue.
He said that fair people from the government and Opposition
should be inducted in the committee.
The minister said that the government was and is ready to
sit with the Opposition parties to chalk out a way forward for
investigation into the Panama Papers.
He said the Opposition parties during talks with the
government themselves were of the view that the investigation
should not be person-specific.
He said the Speaker’s decision on the disqualification
references filed against the Prime Minister and the PTI
Chairman is correct and this House endorses his decision.
The minister said that it is the tactics of the PTI
Chairman to attack the personality of the Speaker and
hurl allegations of rigging on him. It is the same Speaker
who did not accept the resignation of the PTI MNAs, he
added.
On the references filed against the Prime Minister,
the Minister said that the four references furnished before
the Speaker did not carry any documentary evidence.
Therefore, the Speaker did not find appropriate to
forward the references to the ECP. He said that the Speaker
also rejected one reference against the PTI Chairman and
forwarded the second one to the ECP having the substantial
material and evidence.
Khawaja Saad said that Imran Khan himself is the
founder of offshore companies but he never gets tired of
hurling accusations on others.
He asked Imran Khan to stop the politics of allegations
and mud-slinging and demonstrate maturity in his political
conduct.
The minister recalled that it was agreed if the judicial
commission, formed to investigate the rigging of the general
election, indicated engineered rigging, the PML-N will leave
the government and if otherwise the PTI will take its allegations
back. But he said Imran Khan backed out from the written
agreement.