KARACHI - Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah on Saturday opposed appointment of Justice retd. Sarmad Jalal Osmany as head of the judicial commission to investigate Panama leaks scandal.
He expressed these views while talking to media at Karachi Press Club. He said that if the chief justice of Pakistan refused to head such a judicial commission then a parliamentary committee-led by Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani- be formed to investigate the issue.
Khursheed said that the Panama leaks scandal is a reality and the two prime ministers across the globe had resigned from their posts over the issue.
“Even much bigger leaks are present in this country but first this issue should be investigated and sorted out,” he said.
Speaking over appointment of Justice retd. Sarmad Jalal Osmany as the head of commission, Shah said that he personally respects the former judge but he should not have accepted this offer as his wife had joined the PML-N and speculations of him joining the party after completing his two years tenure was also in the air.
“His tilt towards a party raises severe questions over his credibility to deal with this issue in an impartial manner,” he said adding that whenever the PML-N feels pressure it needs a former judge to take them out from that situation. He said that the PPP and other opposition parties are of the view that Panama leaks issue should be investigated through a judicial commission to be led by the incumbent chief justice of Pakistan.
“In case the judicial commission is not formed then a parliamentary committee led by Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani should be formed to investigate it,” he said.
He said that if the government is serious to resolve this issue then it should immediately form a judicial or a parliamentary commission to solve this issue soon. He said that opposition was on one page over this issue and the PPP would not back out from its stance over it.
The opposition leader rubbished aside any move to derail democracy in the country behind calls for investigation into Panama leaks and said that PPP had struggled in every era for the supremacy of democratic forces and the democracy is the only way to resolve all issues.
He said that PPP never conspired against the democratic system instead it had given sacrifices for it and strengthened it.
“People in the PML-N are ruining the political atmosphere of the country and the prime minister is being trapped in first delivering speech and then later giving explanations over it,” he said adding that it is not clear who is advisor of the PM over this issue. He also denied any meeting between Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif in London.