ZULFIQAR AHMAD

ISLAMABAD: The joint opposition on Wednesday reiterated its demand that investigation for Panama Leaks should start from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as he is the chief executive of the country.

Talking to reporters after holding a meeting with Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in a bid to end the impasse on Panama Leaks, Aitzaz Ahsan of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) said that ‘probe will start from the Prime Minister no matter what’.

Ahsan said the opposition had shown enough flexibility on the issue of formulating a consensus terms of reference (ToRs) for the judicial commission that would probe the Panama Leaks.

“We’ve accepted almost 70 percent of what the government has been saying, and now the ball is in the government court, but it’s not ready to show any flexibility which is the reason there has been no progress despite eight sittings,” he said.

He added that despite eight sittings together, the government did not listen to the opposition, adding representatives of the government who attended the meetings only wanted to save the skin of Prime Minister.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi, deputy parliamentary leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed that the stance of opposition parties had been strengthened and there was no disagreement that the investigation should start from the chief executive of the country.

He said the opposition parties had endorsed the decision of PTI to go to the court of people, which showed that the opposition parties were standing behind the PTI and there was no truth that party had taken a solo flight.

“The government tried all tricks to divide the opposition, but miserably failed, and now after finding no other option, it has given the task to NA Speaker to hold talks with opposition member and find a solution to the issue,” he added.

About the meeting with NA Speaker, he said the government was not ready to proceed on Panama Leaks issue, and it was badly stuck where it had hit the snag after both government and opposition failed to reach any agreement on ToRs.

The meeting was convened by NA Speaker which had earlier been postponed due to suicide attack at a hospital in Quetta.

There had been no formal contact between opposition and government over ToRs deadlock after Quetta blast.