ISLAMABAD: The opposition on Monday managed to introduce in the Senate a bill seeking constitution of a judicial commission to investigate the Panama Papers scandal, after defeating the government by a margin of 13 votes.

Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani allowed Leader of the Opposition Aitzaz Ahsan to introduce the bill on behalf of all opposition parties after a vote count, in which 32 members voted in its favour and 19 against.

The chairman had to order the vote-count when Law Minister Zahid Hamid opposed the bill, terming it “person-specific and discriminatory”.

Interestingly, members of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) — a government ally — supported the opposition-sponsored bill, whereas Dr Jahanzeb Jamaldini of the opposition BNP-Mengal voted against the bill along with government members.

Besides this, the upper house saw the introduction of 10 other private members’ bills on the opening day of the new session. These were referred to the standing committees concerned.

Apart from the heavy legislative agenda, the Senate also unanimously passed four resolutions, including one “strongly condemning” anti-Pakistan remarks by MQM founder Altaf Hussain and another expressing concern over the situation in India-held Kashmir.

Seeking permission to move a motion for the introduction of the bill titled ‘Panama Papers Inquiries Act 2016’, Mr Ahsan said the revelations contained in the Panama Papers were not made by the opposition, adding that an independent organisation of investigative journalists had published the names of those who owned offshore companies.

He said the opposition had decided to move the bill because it believed that the Panamagate scam could not be thoroughly investigated under the existing law.

Opposing the bill, Law Minister Zahid Hamid said there were many flaws in the draft and called it “discriminatory” and aimed at “targeting” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose name was not even mentioned in the Panama Papers. He claimed that the names of PTI leaders such as Imran Khan, Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan were on the list of those who had set up offshore companies.

Moreover, he said, the bill had a limited scope and would not be helpful in preventing illegal practices in the future, adding that they could not even hold investigations into the recently published Bahamas leaks under the proposed law.

“This bill is one-sided, specifically designed to target those named in the Panama Papers and riddled with politically motivated clauses,” he said, adding that the government had already introduced a bill in the National Assembly, following the Supreme Court’s observations about the ineffective Inquiry Commission Act, 1956.

Mr Hamid said the government was making sincere efforts to hold investigations into the Panamagate scam and all corrupt practices committed in the past. For this reason, he said, motions were introduced in both the houses seeking the formation of a parliamentary committee consisting of members of the opposition and treasury benches. However, the committee had failed to agree on the terms of reference for the proposed commission, despite holding eight meetings.

Anti-Altaf resolution

The Senate passed the resolution, condemning Altaf Hussain’s anti-Pakistan tirade, without holding any debate.

“This House strongly condemns the remarks made by Altaf Hussain regarding Pakistan, chanting slogans against Pakistan and instigating his party workers to attack media houses in Karachi on Aug 22,” says the resolution.

The chairman allowed PML-Q’s Saeedul Hassan Mandokhel to move the resolution, ruling that he is granting permission considering it “an extraordinary matter” since there was a tradition to consider such resolutions, which pertained to personal remarks of political leaders, out of order.

“The instant speech of Altaf Hussain is not a political statement rather it undermines the existence of the State. Therefore, notwithstanding the earlier rulings of the chair, the instant resolution is admitted for moving in the House as an exception to the general rule,” he ruled.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2016