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PTI Final sit-in
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced to stage a final sit-in in the capital Islamabad against the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over allegations of corruption after Panama reports. PTI chief Imran Khan had demanded Nawaz Sharif to show his assets and answer the allegations of having oversees businesses and assets. The government however refuses to let protestors shut down the capital city as the court had taken notice of the
Panama case. Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique said that no permission would be given to those wanting to shut down government offices, making the government hostage and hurling threats. An application has also been moved in the Supreme Court, requesting it to direct the federal government to restrain Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his workers from besieging the federal capital and staging a sit-in.
Meanwhile the Supreme Court has issued a notice to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over petitions seeking his disqualification over alleged tax evasion through offshore companies, money laundering and increasing his wealth by looting public money. The court also issued notices to premier’s daughter Maryam Safdar, his sons Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, his son-in-law and sitting member of the National Assembly Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. The case was filed in Supreme Court against the prime minister by PTI.
Meanwhile Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan expressed relief as the apex court has summoned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. While talking to reporters outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Khan said that the parliament did not play any role in investigating the Panama leaks case, but the apex court has now taken the first step in bringing the monarch under law’s ambit. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also welcomed the judicial proceedings in the Panama Papers case.
Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs
Tension between Pakistan and India doesn’t seem to ease. This week Pakistan summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh over the killing of a civilian due to unprovoked firing at the Line of Control (LoC). The Foreign Office (FO) in a press release said that a strong protest was lodged against the unprovoked ceasefire violations on October 19-20 by the Indian occupation forces on the LoC in Karela Sector, which resulted in the martyrdom of 28-year-old civilian Abdul Rehman. Twelve civilians, including children and women, were also injured.
Pakistan has also conveyed that the Indian side must investigate the incident and share the findings with Pakistan, India must instruct its troops to respect the Ceasefire, refrain from intentionally targeting the villages and maintain peace and stability on the LoC.
Meanwhile India hosted summit of BRICS, an emerging nations club of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, in New Delhi this week where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged BRICS leaders to take a strong united stand against the “mothership of terrorism” in the South Asian region in a thinly veiled reference to Pakistan. In their joint statement, the BRICS leaders condemned recent attacks against some of its members “including that in India” but made no mention of Pakistan.
Meanwhile Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz in response to the statements of Indian prime minister said that India had no moral ground to even talk about counter-terrorism efforts let alone do the finger pointing as Indian-state sponsored terrorism on Pakistani soil had been proven.The adviser in a statement said, “Mr Modi is misleading his BRICS and BIMSTEC colleagues. The Indian leadership is desperately trying to hide its brutalities in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”
National Politics
Although no political party has joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in its sit-in against the prime minister, however major political parties including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are holding rallies as power show. PPP managed to gain gathering of thousands in Karachi this week where its Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari vowed to complete the unfinished mission of slain PPP Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto to get the country rid of terrorism, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and sectarianism. Bilawal led a rally to pay homage to the victims of 2007 Karsaz attack in which more than 120 people lost their lives as the rally of Benazir Bhutto came under attack.
Meanwhile Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has ordered the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Nisar Muhammad Khan to approach the world’s nine tax havens to get information about the people involved in the Panama and Bahamas leaks. Besides Panama and Bahamas, the tax havens included British Virgin Islands, Seychelles, Niue, Samoa, Anguilla, Mauritius, and Jersey. Dar ordered the FBR chairman that the countries concerned be approached through the Foreign Affairs Ministry for seeking more evidence and information about bank accounts, business assets, investments, etc of those persons and entities named in the leaks.
Meanwhile The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to investigate the declaration of assets submitted by lawmakers first time in the history of Pakistan. After the formal approval of the commission the ECP’s Political Finance Wing would probe into the asset details of the lawmakers.
The purpose of year-wise declaration of assets is to keep an eye on the increase in lawmakers’ wealth and if any swell in personal property is noted then it would be investigated.
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