PPP forms committee to prepare comprehensive report on Panama Papers

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari summoned Senator Rehman Malik to London last week and discussed with him the on-going debate in Pakistan on Panama leaks.

He instructed him to form a committee headed by him (Rehman Malik) to chalk out a strategy of the party for the Parliament and public.

Talking to media-persons at his Edgware residence in London, Malik said the situation arising from these leaks need a democratic and parliamentary way out to resolve it amicably.

"PPP wants to march with rest of the opposition but we shall also chalk out our own strategy as an independent political party and that is the reason Asif Ali Zardari wants to take the nation into confidence", London-based The Nation quoted Rehman Malik, as saying while answering a question.

"Nine-party opposition alliance is a full force to tackle this burning issue but our own point of view is also imminent to let the people of Pakistan know that is why our leader at the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah did not go in details and walked out of the House along with other opposition leaders," Malik recalled.

The committee will prepare a comprehensive report on Panama Papers and will submit it to Asif Ali Zardari in a week. After his approval, the report would be made public. "We want peaceful and constitutional resolution of Panama Papers issue.We want to resolve the matter and not to enmesh it any further," he said.

Senator Rehman Malik urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resolve the issue with the opposition's support. He, however, added that the party was still standing its ground over resignation of the prime minister on the issue.

Commenting over Monday's National Assembly session over the issue, Malik said Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah should have spoken a little bit more. "Lock the Parliament if it can't be used for resolution of issues," he commented.

Khurshid Shah, on the other hand, has blamed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for his short address and a walk out of the specially convened National Assembly session on Monday. "Before my address, Shireen Mazari told me rather harshly to keep my speech short as they wanted to leave the House immediately. MQM (Muttahida Qaumi Movement) was with us in our decision to walk out", Shah said in an interview.

Astonishingly, Rehman Malik denied the fact that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari never asked for the resignation of Nawaz Sharif and PPP still stands by this policy.

It may be recalled that addressing public meetings in AJK last week, Bilawal Bhutto openly demanded resignation of Nawaz Sharif saying "Mian sahib, this is high time that you tender the resignation and go home".