- Title: Pakistan PM proposes Panama Papers probe in parliament, opposition walks out
- Date: 16th May 2016
- Summary: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (MAY 16, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PARLIAMENT HOUSE PAKISTANI FLAG OVER PARLIAMENT HOUSE OPPOSITION LEADERS AND MEDIA GATHERED OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT HOUSE OPPOSITION LEADER, KHURSHEED SHAH ARRIVING/MEDIA FILMING SHAH TALKING TO MEDIA JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) OPPOSITION LEADER FROM PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF (PTI) PARTY, IMRAN KHAN, SAYING: "It is a brief thing. You didn't need to tell such a long story." KHAN WALKING AWAY AND GETTING INTO CAR/MEDIA FILMING CAR LEAVING
- Embargoed: 31st May 2016 19:34
- Keywords: Pakistan Panama Papers Nawaz Sharif parliament
- Location: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
- City: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Lawmaking,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0024I25JK7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked parliament on Monday (May 16) to form a commission to investigate allegations stemming from the Panama Papers leak but opposition lawmakers walked out, saying he had evaded questions about his family's affairs.
Sharif has been under pressure since documents released as part of the Panama Papers data leak showed his children owned several off-shore companies and used them to buy properties in London. He denied wrongdoing, as did his children.
The opposition has seized on the Panama Papers scandal as a fresh opportunity to try to unseat Sharif, who told parliament that his wealth was acquired legally in the decades before he entered politics and no money was siphoned off-shore.
"I can say with surety that whether it is Jeddah Steel, London flats or any other payment, not a single rupee (penny) went out of Pakistan," Sharif told the parliament.
Sharif asked the opposition and other lawmakers to help form a parliamentary commission.
Previous efforts to have a retired or sitting Supreme Court judge chair a judicial commission have stalled as all the judges rejected the offer.
It is not clear if the opposition will take up Sharif's latest offer. They walked out soon after Sharif stopped speaking, angered that seven questions they posed to him ahead of the parliamentary session were not answered.
"We gave seven questions, all very simple and innocent. We wanted simple answer. But the Prime Minister's explanation, instead of replying to those questions, has added 70 more questions," said Khursheed Shah, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.
Imran Khan, leader of the opposition PTI party, said Sharif could have followed his suit and simply shown the documents proving there was no wrongdoing on his part.
"It is a brief thing. You didn't need to tell such a long story."
Analysts say opposition attacks on Sharif have lost some of their bite since Khan on Friday admitted he once owned an off-shore company to buy a London flat and avoid paying British taxes.
Opposition politicians said they would announce on Tuesday (May 17) their response to Sharif's speech.
The leak of documents from a Panama law firm has captured global attention, uncovering among other things the use of off-shore businesses by wealthy individuals and corporations worldwide. While such off-shore companies are often not illegal per se, their use spurs suspicions of illegal activity, such as money-laundering, corruption, and tax evasion. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None