ISLAMABAD: Displa­ying a readiness to soften its stance over the Panama Papers inquiry, the opposition has asked the government to formally constitute a committee to negotiate with it on the terms of reference (ToR) for the proposed judicial commission.

The demand to initiate formal talks was placed before a three-member government team, which called on Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah at the latter’s chambers in Parliament House on Tuesday.

Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq accompanied Mr Shah for the meeting with Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai. The three had come to officially communicate to the protesting opposition that the prime minister would come to the National Assembly on Friday to answer all their Panamagate-related queries.

This was the first formal, direct contact between the government and the opposition after the latter submitted its own set of ToR for a judicial commission to be headed by the chief justice of Pakistan, to the government last week.

Khursheed Shah says questionnaire meant to help PM prepare for opposition’s queries; calls on CJP to ‘play his role’

The opposition parties, which had announced a boycott of proceedings in both houses over the prime minister’s absence, are now in the process of preparing a questionnaire for PM Sharif, before he comes to parliament.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Shah said the questionnaire would contain very few short questions so that he could come prepared to the house.

“We do not want to put him [the PM] in trouble. He must know what the opposition wants from him,” Mr Shah said, adding that the questionnaire would be released through the media.

Mr Shah made it clear that the opposition would not withdraw its demand for a thorough investigation into the charges of corruption, money laundering and tax evasion against the prime minister, his children and other Pakistanis, emanating from the Panama leaks.

According to Mr Shah, the government team was assured that the opposition did not want to create a mess in the country and wanted a meaningful dialogue on the ToR to amicably resolve the issue.

“We are ready to hear the government’s viewpoint with an open heart,” he said, expressing the hope that both the government and the opposition would be capable of resolving all the disputes and issues through talks.

It was perhaps out of the fear that the chief justice of Pakistan might refuse to constitute the judicial commission on the government’s request that Mr Shah hinted that the opposition could also consider the formation of a parliamentary committee for the purpose.

“Perhaps, but I could not confirm it at this stage,” Mr Shah said when asked if the opposition would agree to the formation of a parliamentary committee in such a case. However, the opposition leader added that this depended on the prime minister. “He should come to parliament and tell us what he wants. If he wants a parliamentary probe, he should say it clearly,” he added.

Mr Shah was also of the view that the chief justice should come forward to play a role in resolving the crisis. Otherwise, there was no other institution in the country which could resolve the issue, he said.

It may be recalled that while rejecting the government’s earlier announcement of forming an inquiry commission under a retired judge, the PPP had initially called for a parliamentary probe into the Panama scam. Later, however, on the insistence of other parties, the PPP also demanded a judicial commission under the chief justice of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2016