LAHORE: PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan says the disagreement between the PML-N and opposition on the issue of drafting Terms of Reference (ToR) for Panamagate inquiry shows there is something fishy on part of the prime minister’s family.

Speaking to media persons at the Lahore High Court on Thursday, the opposition leader in Senate averred there would have been no deadlock on the ToR had the PML-N leaders clean hands.

Unfortunately, he said, the ToR could not be drafted with a consensus due to a majority of the ruling PML-N in the National Assembly. In this situation, he added, the role of the opposition was to put maximum political pressure on the government for a workable draft.

Mr Ahsan said had a son of a businessman been involved in offshore companies’ scandal, all the government agencies and anti-corruption institutions would have come into action without wasting a minute. He said the Panama Leaks’ issue was like a bell around the neck of the PML-N that would continue to ring.

Referring to a reference for disqualification of the prime minister filed by the PPP before the Election Commission of Pakistan, he said noose was being tightened around the PML-N.

Answering a question, Mr Ahsan denied his meeting with any ruling party leader on the matter of ToR except the National Assembly Speaker who, he said, was not the representative of the government. He said the government had been trying to divide the opposition.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2016