ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani has summoned a session of the lower house of parliament on August 9 on a requisition signed by members belonging to opposition parties to discuss the post-Panama Papers case verdict situation.

The session has been requested by the opposition under Article 54 (3) read with Article 61 of the Constitution, and will be the first meeting after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted from office.

While opposition members are expected to criticise the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, members belonging to the ruling party are likely to raise their concerns over the judgement and the entire process that led to Mr Sharif’s disqualification.

Other items on the agenda include measures to combat corruption with focus on offshore companies, and a new mechanism to assess across the board and overall accountability.

The issue of a new accountability mechanism was discussed in the previous Senate session where the then law minister Zahid Hamid had informed the house that a new accountability law was almost prepared. Only two clauses of the new law dealing with the definition of corruption and corrupt practices and public office-holders were yet to be finalised, he told the Senate.

Discussion over the issue of across-the-board accountability in the upcoming session would be a continuation of members’ call for a law providing for establishment of a single anti-graft body for trial of all accused of corruption, including lawmakers, bureaucrats, military personnel and judges.

Another item on the agenda is closure of the Khokhrapar border crossing which is causing inconvenience to the people of Sindh. An opposition member told Dawn that the government would be asked to reopen the border for trade.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2017