Panama Papers: Opposition seeks PM's clarification on his statement

Opposition parties in National Assembly on Monday demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to come in the House to clarify his statement about Panama Papers; otherwise, they would keep pressing the Speaker NA to take up their privilege motion against him (PM). The otherwise tense environment of the House was somewhat calm as Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has helped pacify the situation through negotiations with parliamentary leaders of all political parties.
"The members should avoid making personal comments in the House. Leadership of all the parties should supervise the language and conduct of their respective members in the House," the Speaker said.
The Speaker also allowed signatories of the privilege motion against the Prime Minister to speak on a point of order regarding Panama Papers.
Speaking on the issue, PPP member Naveed Qamar urged the Prime Minister to come in the House to clarify his statement on the Panama Papers and his families' assets abroad.
"Contradictory statements of the Prime Minister in the House and the Supreme Court have breached sanctity of the House," he said and added, "We will keep pressing the Chair (speaker) to take up our privilege motion if the Prime Minister fails to clarify his position."
PTI member Shireen Mazari reiterated the opposition's stance about contradictory statements of the Prime Minister on the Panama Papers.
PML-Q member Tariq Bashir Cheema urged the Speaker to give his ruling on the joint opposition's privilege motion submitted to the National Assembly Secretariat. "How can NAB, FIA and SECP, being subservient to him, hold the Prime Minister accountable?" he asked.
Cheema said that he would keep fighting against the corrupt mafia and for rights of the people till his last breath. "The Panama Papers issue is based on facts, nobody in the world has challenged veracity of the leaks," he said.
He also asked the Prime Minister to sue International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), German newspaper and BBC if he and his lawyers feel the "revelations are false and fabricated."
MQM member Shaikh Salahuddin said the Parliament is a supreme institution and the Prime Minister should explain to members of the august House as to why his lawyer gave a different statement in the Supreme Court on the Panama Papers.
Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed urged the Prime Minister to resign from his position and nominate another member from his party for the slot.
"If you want to save the teething democracy, make a decision before the (SC) decision for which the whole nation is anxiously waiting...casket of corruption is about to be exposed," he said.
He also pointed out a conflict of interest in affairs of the government, saying that a Qatari prince is writing letters in favour of Sharifs in the Panama Papers while the government has signed contracts of billions of dollars of LNG and other business deals with Qatar.
Jamaat-e-Islami member Sahibzada Tariqullah lambasted Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for, what he said, levelling baseless allegations against his party and the leadership during his speech in the House on Thursday.
He said the treasury benches should wait for decision of the court on Panama Papers instead of losing patience and criticising leadership of his party.
Speaking on the issue, MNA Jamshed Dasti said the Prime Minister should seek apology from the nation for telling a lie in the august House.
"The government is focused on the so-called mega projects while people of southern Punjab are drinking contaminated water from ponds," he said.
The government could not respond to all these points as the deputy speaker has to adjourn the proceedings of the house due to lack of quorum.