ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary committee tasked to frame terms of reference for investigation into Panama Papers has agreed in principle on preamble of the ToRs.
The agreement was reached in the second meeting of the committee held in Islamabad on Thursday. The committee, however, still has differences on the wording of the ToRs, which will be discussed in the subsequent meetings.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said the committee will formally start framing the TORs from tomorrow. Talking to the media after the meeting, Khawaja Saad Rafique expressed confidence that opposition and the government will definitely reach consensus TORs for investigation into Panama Papers.
Aitzaz Ahsan, who is also member of the parliamentary committee, told newsmen the opposition members are participating in the proceedings of the committee with an open heart and mind.
He said we are ready to remove the name of the prime minister from the TORs furnished earlier by the opposition. In his remarks, Shah Mehmoud Qureshi said the committee wants to make the investigation into Panama papers result oriented.
Senators Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Aitzaz Ahsan, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Mr. Muhammad Ali Saif and Mr. Ilyas Ahmad Bilour; and Members of the National Assembly Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Ms. Anusha Rehman Khan Advocate, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi, Sahibzada Tariq Ullah and Ch. Tariq Bashir Cheema attended the meeting as members of the Committee. Mr. Zahid Hamid, Minister for Law and Justice also attended the meeting as ex-officio member of the Committee. The meeting was held on Thursday, the 26th May, 2016 in the Parliament House, Islamabad.
The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Friday the 27thMay, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. in Committee Room No. 5, Parliament House, Islamabad.